“Jet Lag is for Amateurs” - Dick Clark
What does Jet Lag really mean?
Every human being has an inbuilt body clock, which is a small group of cells. These cells turn on and off automatically and tell other part of the body what time it is and what to do. Jet Lag essentially occurs when there is a “brake” inside the brain which stops the body clock from responding. It is medically called as desynchronosis, which is in general a sleep disorder. Mostly, Jet Lag is an issue for the airline pilots, frequent travellers and the airport crew members.
Effects of Jet Lag on us….
The frequently asked question about Jet Lag is how it affects us? The most common symptoms of Jet Lag are fatigue, confusion, insomnia and lack of awareness. Apart from this, the effects on body are anxiety, constipation, diarrhea, confusion, dehydration, headache, irritability, nausea, difficulty concentrating, sweating, coordination problems, dizziness, and it even leads to memory loss.
Causes of Jet Lag?
The major cause of Jet Lag is basically the inability of a traveller’s body to immediately adjust to the new time zone.
Ways to Beat Jet Lag (Before)
Nobody wants to put themselves in the symptoms of Jet Lag as it is a very uncomfortable state and it leads to negative health effects. Before taking a long flight, do check about the effects of Jet Lag.
The best way to avoid Jet Lag symptoms is to adjust faster to the new time zone. Some of the ways to do so are:
● Before you leave, properly adjust your schedule according to the destination
Most importantly, know the direction in which you are travelling. It is more difficult to adjust while travelling towards east than west. When travelling from east to west, go to bed late and wake up late too. This is easier to adjust than to advancing our body clock, when travelling from west to east.
● Try to control the light exposure
Controlling the light exposure is the deepest process to avoid Jet Lag and also the most effective too. In this case you need to ease yourself into the new time zone by deliberately manipulating your exposure to light. To reset your body clock; it is important to scout out and avoid light at the right times during the day.
● Adviced to pop Melatonin (a drug)
Do speak to your doctor first to avoid any health issue. Melatonin is basically a chemical released by a human brain, which makes one sleepy. It is easily available on various drugstores. Be cautious, it is not right for everyone. Though, one study has proved that 5 mg dose of melatonin in the early evening helps the travellers get adjusted to the new time zone easily.
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