Jet lag - overview of symptoms and causes and what can be done to lessen the effects.
Jet lag, the bane of business travelers the world over has been so since the beginning of airline flights. A physiological condition caused by a disoriented biological clock, jet lag can best be described through its symptoms of irritability, lethargy, and insomnia. Lesser known symptoms include disorientation and nausea.
Most people recognize that jet lag not only causes general insomnia but causes the total confusion of night and day. What was morning yesterday is now the late evening today and travelers can find themselves either dead to the world when they should be at a business meeting or wide awake in the middle of the night when most legitimate tourism is asleep.
HOW TO PREVENT JET LAG
There are as many remedies for jet lag as there are for the common cold, neither one has ever been sufficiently solved or eliminated. Jet lag's issue? It is fairly simple to identify, removing sleep deprivation. The common cold? Well that's tougher and almost impossible when you consider how a cold is transmitted.
Removing sleep deprivation takes some planning.
1. First you need to time your flight. Arriving with the morning meal in the destination country is a great way to start the day. Especially if you have synced yourself properly. Time your flight to arrive in the morning.
2. Several nights before your scheduled trip start putting yourself to bed early and rising earlier than usual. This prepares your system for the change in time zones and you are better prepared to make the shift. Again, check the time zone and time you are headed for to get this just right.
3. You will need to address eating patterns as well as sleep patterns to get through your trip comfortably. The day of your flight eat your last heavy meal around the same time the evening meal is being served in the country you are headed to.
4. Sleep on the plane. Resist those possible hunger pains by sleeping on the plane. Remember, you have eaten your evening meal and you should then sleep at the same time that your destination country is sleeping. Bring whatever it takes to get you to fall asleep. Whether it is an eyeshade, music or sleeping pills use it to your advantage. A good six hours of sleep in flight should sync you with everyone else.
5. You may want to continue any sleeping aids during the first several nights after you arrive to get the best sleep possible and to fully make the transition.
It is typical for the body to take up to twenty-four hours to adjust per time zone. As a person ages adjusting is more difficult. Therefore, planning is crucial to alleviating the bulk of sleep deprivation. If you are successful, you will have to explain your irritability some other way!
OTHER CAUSES OF JET LAG
Traveling across several time zones can cause the phenomenon to be overwhelming to businesspeople but there are indications that the symptoms of jet lag are actually felt by those staying within their own time zone. How is this possible?
Ball State University has completed studies on fifth graders that show this trend to be so. It seems that staying up to play video games or to watch television resulting in not getting required sleep can cause fifth graders to dose off in class. This lack of required sleep happening on a regular basis may cause behavior changes throughout the school day similar to what a business traveler experiences
Receiving the right amount of sleep per your age group is important. Fifth graders typically need 10 hours of sleep a night. Staying up for video games and television is depriving them of their health. Rest is the time when the body completes its repair work. Sleep can prevent illness and injury not to mention aid in the ability to learn and maintaining a stable attitude and mood. If your children are exhibiting signs of sleep deprivation make adjustments to their habits.
Sleep aids are not advised for children. Setting sleep times and creating environments for good sleep are. Whenever considering sleep aids, always consult your physician for advice.
