If you have even a passing interest in the topic of jet lag, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of jet lag.
The more authentic information about jet lag you know, the more likely people are to consider you a jet lag expert. Read on for even more jet lag facts that you can share.
To truly understand jet lag and how to avoid jet lag, you need to understand what is does to your body. Let s start with an in depth understanding of how your body functions on a day to day basis. You body currently operates on what is called a circadian rhythm, which is more commonly known as your biological clock. These rhythms are developed overtime as your body become accustomed to a regular pattern of wake and sleep cycles.
These rhythms are normally synched with your local time zone so that you feel hungry in the mornings and sleepy in the evenings. In addition to controlling when you sleep and wake, these rhythms also affect your hunger, digestion, bowl habits, urine production, temperature and blood pressure. As you can see, these rhythms are essential in maintaining optimal health. Now, let s take it a step further and discuss what air travel can do to these natural rhythms. As you know, the world is divided into 24 time zones, 1 hour for every 15 degrees traveled in either direction from the prime meridian.
So, the more you travel in either direction from your local time zone, the more your rhythms will be out sync. The body s circadian rhythm actually operates on a 25 hour cycle, which is why it is easy to stay up an hour late, but harder to go to bed an hour earlier. This results in a more severe Jet Lag effect when traveling west to east. Therefore your body s timekeeping center, the hypothalamus, will trigger activities that the rest of your body is not ready for in your current time zone; aka jet lag. For the most part, the affects of jet lag are most noticeable when traveling across 3 or more time zones; however some travelers may experience the same symptoms from traveling just one or two. Some of the common symptoms of jet lag include but are not limited to: As mentioned previously, one of the common affect of high altitude sickness is sleep disturbance.
Pair this with the increased potential for illness from the reduced cleaning and you have a statistically increased your potential to arriving at your destination jet lagged. So now that you know what causes the symptoms of jet lag in your body, let s discuss how you can hedge against it. To begin you should know that as a general rule of thumb your body will take about a day to adjust for every time zone crossed in travel. With this in mind, prior to any long distance traveling, you should maintain a healthy diet, get plenty of rest and exercise as frequently as possible. This will enable your body to cope better after you arrive at your destination.
Another option for travelers is to begin to regulate your sleep cycles to the time table of your destination so your body begins the adjustment sooner rather than later. Setting the alarm a little earlier each morning can be combined with the use of over the counter supplements to induce and relax the body to fall asleep earlier. It is also recommend that you avoid alcohol and caffeine before and during travel and the first initial day in your destination location to reduce the amount of time your body takes to acclimate. Proper hydration will also reduce the possibility of experiencing symptoms. In addition to the precautions listed above a dietary supplement that includes melatonin can aid in your adjustment and enjoyment while traveling.
If you ve picked some pointers about jet lag that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don t use it.
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