Jet Lag: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention

Jet lag is a syndrome that includes either inability to sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness after travelling through two or more time zones. It usually takes some time to adjust to the new time zone of the new destination you arrive at.

Symptoms of Jet lag can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It alters the body’s sleep cycle; however, the effects are not permanent.

Read on to know the symptoms, causes, treatments and prevention of jet lag.

Jet lag is a sleeping disorder that occurs when your body's internal clock is not aligned with the day-night cycle of the time zone of your travel destination.

Your body's internal clock, the circadian rhythm, is aligned as per the day-night cycle, which is established by the sun. When you are travelling across zones quickly, the day and night cycle will occur at different times than what your body is used to. This, in turn, throws your internal clock off balance. This sudden change in the circadian rhythm might make it difficult for your body to adjust and make you feel tired.

Jet lag is a common problem people experience when travelling internationally via plane. However, the intensity of jet lag can vary for people. There are some people, especially children, who do not have any problem adapting to the new time zone and do not experience jet lag at all.

According to some medical experts, it has been agreed that flying towards the east might make you prone to severe jet lag symptoms rather than flying towards the west. This might be because your body can quickly adjust to staying awake till later than sleeping earlier than you usually do.

Symptoms of Jet lag can vary from person to person. You can either experience only one symptom or many of them. The most commonly known symptoms of jet lag are as follows:

• Sleeping problem: Jet lag can cause your sleep schedule a lot of damage. You might find it hard to fall asleep whenever you want to or wake up before you had planned.
• Daytime drowsiness: You might feel sleepy and tired throughout the day if you suffer from jet lag.
• Weak physical functioning: Due to jet lag, you might not be able to perform well physically. A tired feeling will always be looming.
• Impaired thinking: You may have issues remembering something or paying attention to something. There might be problems with your thinking capacity.
• Feeling discomfort: Jet lag might cause a general feeling of uneasiness and illness.
• Emotional problems: Jet lag might make you irritable and anxious and cause mental health issues such as mood disorders.
• Sleep paralysis or seizures: In rare situations, jet lag can increase the risk of sleep paralysis or nighttime seizures.
• Gastrointestinal issues: Jet lag can cause digestion problems, reduced appetite, diarrhoea, constipation and bowel syndrome.

Other symptoms might be headaches, fatigue, nausea, and excessive need to urinate at night. Jet lag causes dizziness as well. These symptoms may begin immediately or take some time after you have reached your destination. Many people might sleep well the first night after a flight and face issues in the following days. Depending on the person and the trip details, these symptoms might last for a few days to a few weeks.

Multiple factors might influence the likelihood and severity of jet lag. In this regard, the causes of jet lag include the following:

• Your body’s clock does not align with that of your new location.
• Too much sunlight or too much screen time while travelling can impact your sleep clock.
• Older people tend to find it harder to recover from jet lag than younger people.
• Poor sleep in the days before the flight can increase the chances of getting jet lag.
• Being stressed out due to some reason might interfere with your sleep patterns.
• Sitting in a plane for a long period of time also contributes to jet lag.
• Not sleeping at all to prepare your body for the new time zone or sleeping too much on the plane can cause jet lag.
• If you do not drink enough water while on a flight, it can cause dehydration, and that, in turn, can contribute to symptoms of jet lag.
• Drinking too much tea or coffee may prevent you from getting enough sleep.
• Drinking alcohol more than you usually do might be the cause of your worsened sleep quality.
• Travel distance, time zones crossed, number of layovers and the total time spent at the destination can influence the duration of jet lag.
• Airline cabin low air pressure, high altitudes, lack of oxygen, warm temperature and low humidity levels are also responsible for jet lag.

People who usually experience jet lag have temporary symptoms. These generally do not require medical attention. The symptoms typically go away on their own within a few days. However, if you think that your body cannot adjust to the new location and your sleep problem is not going away and is affecting the quality of your life, this might be more serious than you think it is.

It might signify a more serious disorder like insomnia, sleep apnea, or circadian rhythm disorder. You must consult your doctor or a sleep expert in such a situation. Doctors will help you in the best way to deal with jet lag. They might help you determine what is wrong and recommend sleeping techniques. They might also offer you medication if you suffer from any sleeping disorder.

Jet lag does not always need treatment. Researchers have not yet come up with a cure for jet lag. However, some options are available if the symptoms are bothering and preventing you from accomplishing your daily tasks. Some of the tips to deal with jet lag are:

• Following the sleep-walk schedule at your destination will help you deal with jet lag symptoms better.
• If you can, you should get out in the sunlight during the prime daytime once you reach your destination. This will help reset your body clock and help with your jet lag.
• Taking a hot bath or shower before going to bed can help you fall asleep faster.
• Melatonin supplements can trigger sleep when your body is fighting it. However, make sure to take it with precaution.
• Light boxes, visors and lamps can be used to stay awake while you are drowsy and help in resetting your circadian rhythm.
• You should eat as per the appropriate time for your new time zone. This can help your body adjust to jet lag.
• Talk to your doctor regarding sleep medications if you find it difficult to sleep in a new place.
• Drink lots of water as it can help combat the effect of dehydration after a long flight and reduce your jet lag.

Following are some tips that might help in minimising the effects of jet lag:

• If you have a meeting or event that requires you to be in top form, you can arrive at the destination a few days before to let your body adjust.
• Give plenty of rest to your body before the trip.
• Try adjusting your sleep schedule as per the destination you are going to travel to. Sleep one hour early each day if you are travelling east for a few days and one hour late if you are planning to travel west.
• When you reach your destination, adjust your watch, your meal times and your sleep time according to the new destination.
• Try sleeping while you are on the flight if it’s nighttime at your destination, and control the urge to sleep if it’s daytime.
• Stretching and exercising will help you remain alert during travel.
• Spend time outdoors as natural light will help you adjust to the new time zone.
• Drink plenty of water while travelling as it will help in dealing with jet lag.
• If you are travelling westward, seeking natural light in the evening might help, whereas, for eastward locations, morning light is beneficial.
• Do not sit in one place for hours while travelling.