Beating Jet Lag

(Published on 27 February 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Been travelling a lot lately and as a result groggy eyed and bit spaced out. Most unlike a Miss Know-All to be in such a state, sweeties… it almost feels as though I am sleep walking all day long or perpetually stoned. While I packed yet another suitcase and headed to the airport – I decided to find out how one could beat jet lag.

The term jet lag is often used to describe the general exhaustion of travelling. That is technically incorrect if there is no change in time zone. Jet lag is a physiological condition which is a consequence of trans-meridian travel and happens as a result of changes to the body rhythm. Alterations in work shifts can also result in a similar condition. In medical terms this symptom is called desynchronosis or dysrhythmia.

Jet lag occurs because the body cannot adjust to changes in rhythm. A person’s body gets used to the daylight rhythms it is habituated to. The body clock of a person travelling across time zones goes out of sync with the destination time. As a result it experiences daylight contrary to the rhythms it is familiar to. The condition is not linked to the length of the flight, but to the trans-meridian distance travelled. Travelling east is worse as it accelerates the passage through time. Travelling west gives additional hours and as such can be easier to adjust to.

The symptoms of jet lag can be quite varied. People are known to experience headaches, fatigue, dehydration and loss of appetite, insomnia, grogginess, nausea and upset stomach. The quickness with which the body readjusts itself to the new rhythm in its new environment depends from person to person. Young individuals adjust faster. Physical fitness also helps. Here are a few tips to beat jet lag:

4Seasoned travellers set their clock to the destination time zone, as soon as it is practical.

4Flights should be scheduled so that you arrive well in advance. If you lack luxury of time then travelling westward would be a better option. Studies show that flying westwards causes less jet lag than flying eastwards.

4In day time flights it is advisable to stay awake and keep mentally active. Exercise as much as you can on the flight; stretch, walk down the aisles or rotate your feet.

4On long haul flights that entail travelling during the night it is advisable to get some sleep on the plane. The timing of this should be decided in advance so that some meals on board can be missed. Depending on the length of the flight, sleep until the breakfast time of your place of destination.

4To compensate for the dry air on board, re-hydration is advised. Intake of water and fruit juices is recommended. Fizzy drinks and alcohol should be avoided.

4Avoid coffee. Caffeine stimulates water loss as well as keeps you awake.

4The last meal prior to the time allotted for sleep should be high in carbohydrates and low in protein in order to induce drowsiness.

4On reaching your destination try and fit in immediately with the new environment. There may be other environmental factors to consider such as heat, humidity or even altitude. If one has travelled westward, one should retire to bed early.

4In this period of adaptation - alcohol taken late in the evening is likely to disrupt sleep and as such is not advised.

4Taking drugs can alter biological clocks, depending on the time they are taken. Coffee and tea are stimulants. Taken in the evening they would help in recovery after flying eastward and in the afternoon after flying westward.

4Exercise speeds up the adaptation to a new time zone. Exercise at a light intensity is adequate for stimulating synchronization to new rhythms. Exercise that is too strenuous may disrupt rather than promote sleep.

Jet lag generally lasts a few days. A recovery rate of ‘one day per time zone’ is the suggested guideline. However, not too many of us zigzagging across the globe can give ourselves a day to recover and recharge our batteries. To think of it pretties, even if I did get an extra day to recover from jet lag – I’d rather be at the closest mall, shopping till I dropped dead… than be holed up in my hotel room getting paranoid about my body and its daylight rhythms! A cup of strong coffee… and I’ll be fine.


Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com