How does jetlag work and does it really exist?

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Terry D

Yes, jet lag definitely exist. The main reason, but not the only cause of jet lag is crossing time zones. Usually going east is worse than going west.

If you are tired and disoriented for days after arriving, wake up during the night or have difficulty sleeping you have symptoms of jet lag.

NASA estimates that you'll need one day for every one-hour time zone crossed to get back to your normal rhythm and energy levels. So a five hour time difference means that you'll need five days to get back to normal.

There are somethings you can do to lessen the effects of jet lag.

When you arrive, going for a nap is the worst thing you can do, because it sets your body's rhythms back to home time. Staying active on arrival will help the body adjust to the new time zone.

Eating and sleeping are your body's time indicators, so it's important to fit in with what the locals are doing when you arrive.

When I travel across time zones I do the following:

1. Get a good night sleep the night before.
2. Reset watch upon boarding plane.
3. I travel as early as possible in the morning.
4. Avoid alcohol and caffeine
5. Upon arrival I follow the local time for eating and sleeping

T.

dcgirl

Jetlag is a couple of things mixed together: first when you fly across time zones, your body gets off its normal schedule. If you're used to getting up at 7 a.m. and fly west, your body will still want to get up at 7 a.m. even though it is really 3 a.m. where you are. It takes a few days for your body to "feel" like it is whatever time it is locally. Some people handle that better than others and some feel it more going west than going east-- regardless, you're off schedule and that messes with your sleeping patterns and makes you feel very tired.

Plus people get very dehydrated when they fly. The cabin air is very dry and it's hard to take in enough water, especially on a long flight. This also makes you feel tired and it also makes your eyes dried out which adds to that sleepy, unrested feeling.

Billy

I think jet lag is just referring to the change of time zones, you are used to certain times of the day but it all changes when you're on a different part of the planet

ethansma24

I'm a flight attendant, so I experience this quite often...especially when flying to International destinations. One of the best things you can do to prevent it, believe it or not, is to keep yourself hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight. They say that 1 hour of working up in the air, has the equivalent of 2 hours on the ground. So, if you take a 5 hour flight, to your body it can feel like 10 hours....hence the reason you are sooo exhausted.

unknown friend

Yes Jet-lag is real, our bodies have an internal clock and it functions within the time zone you are in so when you go into another time zone it throws off your internal clock.

People that don't travel a lot don't know how to get rid of jet-lag quickly but there is a trick.

You can either just let it take it's toll and take days or weeks to go back to normal or

As soon as you land force your body to go into the new time zone immediately.

For example if you normally go to bed at 9pm and when you land your 2 hours ahead of where you took off from, go to bed at 9pm in the new time zone. When you wake up your body will have adjusted to the new time zone immediately.

If the new time zone is behind you then force yourself to stay awake until 9pm their time it's harder the day you land but your body adjusts overnight and the next day you will be fine.

It works, my husband and I travel a lot and it works every time.

elin j

Yeah, I believe it exists. I think, from my own experience, it's from changing time zones, from a short period of time. Like when I came back from Florida, I left at 8:30pm, but wasn't home until 9:30am, next day, and it confused me so badly, and cause a major confusing in my sleeping pattern, causing some lagging, lol.

balittle

hey there yes it dose and now take it from someone who has flown before ok..........

Karlito

Yes, actually you can experience jetlag because of the change of your body clock or circadian clock. Meaning, in every timezones, your body adjust the time of your sleep especially when you travel passing through the International Date Line.

Sanjana.

Yeah it exists! It's like when you switch time zones drastically, your body is still used to the old one, but the times are different.

For example, if you flew to Japan, you'd be in a different time zones, so when it's usually night here, it would be morning there, but you're still used to it being night, so you'd be tired. It takes a couple days for your body to adjust.

mre5565

Your body is used to waking up and going to sleep agt a certain time. When arriving in a time zone that is many hours shifted from yours, the body doesn't want wakeup when everyone else or go to sleep when everyone else does.

Jetlag is actually really easy to cure if you are arriving somewhere where it is not yet "bed time". Just force yourself to stay awake until your normal bed time, and you'll be fixed in one night. If you arrive where it is still night, and are sleeping, even easier. if you arrive where it is still night and your are wide awake, force yourself to stay away through the night and the rest of the day till bed time. Walking is a really good way to stay awake.

Yes, Jet lag is real. It's the time difference between countries. If you fly to China, you will arrive on the same day you left and it will be daylight as it was when you left. Therefore, you have been up for a full day and when you arrive your day is just beginning. You stay for a couple of weeks and you adjust to the time difference so you can be awake during their daylight hours. Then you return home and the adjustment begins all over again. It is very hard on your body and generally can take a couple of weeks before you feel normal again.

harry p

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