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Beating jet lag Beating jet lag

When you fly across a number of time zones, you may find that you're jet lagged. It's caused by your body clock getting 'out of sync' with the day and night cycle of your destination - which can leave you feeling sleepy during the day. You may also have sleeping problems at night, disturbed digestion, and difficulty concentrating.

Jet lag usually lasts a few days, although it depends how far you have travelled. It wears off as your body adjusts to its new time zone.

 
Jet lag usually lasts a few days, although it depends how far you have travelled

Tips for managing your jet lag

Before the flight

  • before you leave, make sure you have had enough sleep
  • if possible, aim to arrive close to the time you would go to sleep to help you body clock adjust
  • eat three balanced meals the day before you leave

During the flight

  • change your watch to the time of your destination (if you need to take medication at strict times this isn't advised)
  • drink water so that you don't get dehydrated
  • avoid alcohol, which will also stop you getting dehydrated

On arrival

  • get into a routine immediately. Eat, sleep and be active at the right times
  • allow yourself time to adjust when you arrive. Don't schedule any important meetings for the first day
  • when you have arrived, try and get as much sleep in a 24-hour period as you would usually. A minimum block of 4 hours "anchor sleep" in the night time is thought to be needed to help you readjust
  • exercise during the day, this may help you adapt to the new time zone and sleep better
  • try not to smoke or drink alcohol or caffeine too close to when you sleep as they may keep you awake
Travelling east tends to cause worse jet lag than travelling west

Going west is best

Travelling to a destination in the east tends to cause worse jet lag than travelling west. Your body clock finds it easier to adapt to adding more hours to your day, as occurs when you travel west, as opposed to fewer hours when travelling east. Put simply, it's easier to stay awake when you are tired than to fall asleep when you are wide awake.

In both directions, jet lag is directly related to how many time zones you cross. The more time zones, the worse your jet lag - and the longer you take to adjust.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone involved in regulating your body clock, or circadian rhythm. Depending on when you take it, melatonin can shift your body clock forwards, or backwards, to help you adapt to the new time zone. But if you take it at the wrong times it may slow this process down. There is also some uncertainty over how much melatonin you should take. More research is needed before it can be recommended for managing jet lag.

  • Publication date: September 2008