Aviation Information

Overcoming Jet Lag


Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly one of the most frustrating, aspects of long distance travel. Also called desynchronosis (meaning "out of time"), jet lag occurs when travellers pass through multiple time zones, arriving several hours ahead or behind their "home" time.

Travelling across several time zones upsets your body's internal clock, which relies on a variety of environmental cues such as daylight and temperature. The degree of jet lag suffered can be measured in terms of the time change you undergo - the greater the difference in time between your home and your new location, the more disoriented your body clock becomes and the more jet lag you are likely to experience.

One major feature of jet lag is seen in your body's struggle between emotional energy and physical lethargy. While your mind is able to process the change in time and location relatively quickly and can rationally appreciate environmental cues such as daylight (or the lack of it) and time of day, your body will be much slower to respond. Although the time to recover will vary from person to person, most people agree that overcoming jet lag, adjusting to a new time zone and resuming a regular sleep cycle can take two or three days or, in severe cases, an entire a week.

Although not necessarily serious, insomnia caused by jet lag can interfere with mental clarity and efficiency and may have some bearing on your emotional state. Jet lag can also make it difficult for business travellers and tourists alike to maximize the opportunities afforded by their stay. What's more, if insomnia caused by jet lag does not pass, or recurs frequently for more than a couple of weeks, it could be indicative of a more persistent sleep problem.

Natural sleep remedies and approaches can be used to effectively manage jet lag and, by taking a proactive approach, you can significantly decrease or limit the severity and number of symptoms - not to mention shortening the duration of your jet lag.

Establishing a regular and consistent sleep schedule before you even start to make travel plans is one important step towards limiting the effects of jet lag. Simple dietary changes like the reduction or elimination of caffeine and alcohol have also proven effective, and travellers who are accustomed to coping with jet lag often bring along natural sleep remedies like herbal teas and infusions to help induce the body's natural sleep cycles upon arrival at their destination.

You may have heard that sleeping pills and other sleep aids are also effective tools for managing jet lag.

Because sleeping pills suppress the body's immune system in order to generate artificial sleep, as opposed to naturally induced restorative sleep, sleeping pills are not always an effective remedy for jet lag. In fact, sleeping pills can potentially exacerbate the symptoms by delaying the adjustment of your internal body clock.

Copyright © 2005 Donald Saunders

Attention Ezine Editors / Website Owners

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website so long as you leave all links intact, do not modify the content and include the resource box shown below. You may of course insert your own affiliate link in the resource box if you wish. Details of our affiliate programme can be found on our website.

If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including: "Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques"
For further details please visit http://help-me-to-sleep.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Aviation Week

TSA catches heat over private aviation proposals
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 5 hours ago
About 200 pilots, directors of corporate flight departments and representatives of the business aviation community from across the Southeast packed a ...
Air Security Could Involve Private Jets New York Times
Graves finds aviation rule proposal excessive St. Joseph News-Press
TSA rules could hurt business jets The Wichita Eagle
Private Jet Daily - Aero-News Network
all 34 news articles


Boston Globe

Aviation industry strives to find alternative fuels
SmartBrief, DC - 4 hours ago
The aviation industry wants to find an alternative to jet fuel after it got burned last summer. Continental Airlines is testing fuel made from the tropical ...
Jet Biofuel May Be Commercially Viable Soon, Point Carbon Says Bloomberg
Flying on Vegetables New York Times
Biofuels gain momentum in aviation industry Washington Energy Services
Los Angeles Times - Aero-News Network
all 257 news articles


Great Lakes Aviation December load factor down 8 pts
RTT News, NY - 16 hours ago
(RTTNews) - Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (GLUX.OB: News ) reported preliminary passenger traffic results for the month of December 2008 and year ending ...
Great Lakes Aviation announces Montana flights Montana's News Station
Great Lakes Aviation releases December traffic results Trading Markets (press release)
Air service returning to four more Montana cities Billings Gazette
Great Falls Tribune - The Missoulian
all 38 news articles


Art and aviation
Reno News & Review, NV - 13 hours ago
By Brad Bynum Count Guido Roberto Deiro was a pilot and businessman “heavily involved with aviation matters in Nevada,” when he met Michael Heizer, ...


Army aviation officials seek to improve communications
FCW.com, VA - 5 hours ago
By Doug Beizer Army aviation commanders are developing ways to use technology to share up-to-date information about the problems faced by deployed troops, ...


Aviation firm buys airport manager
Poughkeepsie Journal, NY - 15 hours ago
Aviation Facilities Company, Inc. announced Wednesday it purchased AvPORTS, which manages day-to-day operations at seven US airports, including Stewart ...
Albany Int'l Airport's management co. acquired Bizjournals.com
AFCO buys out AvPORTS, contract operator of Stewart operations ... Mid-Hudson News
Some change, and stability, at airport: New owner agrees to ... Trading Markets (press release)
Branson Courier - Bizjournals.com
all 16 news articles


Are Aviation Biofuels Are More Hype Than Hope?
Wired News - 3 hours ago
By Dave Demerjian January 08, 2009 | 3:00:00 PMCategories: Biofuel The commercial aviation industry, hammered by rising fuel costs and increased pressure to ...


NBC4i.com

Southwest: Pilot on paid leave pending alcohol investigation
USA Today - 4 hours ago
"The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident Tuesday at Port Columbus in which two passengers accused a Southwest Airlines pilot of ...
Travelers say they smelled alcohol, confronted pilot Columbus Dispatch
Southwest pilot called in sick after passengers accused him of ... Gadling
Southwest Puts Suspected Intoxicated Pilot On Leave Aero-News Network
all 5 news articles


Phillips 66 Aviation Adds To Its FBO Network
Aero-News Network, FL - 18 hours ago
Phillips 66 Aviation rang in 2009 with a number of Midwestern fixed base operators now offering its branded services. Butterfly Aviation in Goodland, ...
Fliers get fuel choice Denton Record Chronicle
Reps press for lower air fares, invite operators The Guardian - Nigeria
Appalling state of airport facilities The Guardian - Nigeria
all 4 news articles


NZ Herald Hamilton Metro

Data Retrieved From Airbus Crash as Investigation Continues
Wall Street Journal - 7 hours ago
The crash has been closely watched by the global aviation community because the twin-engine A320 is a workhorse of airlines across the globe. ...
French police recover data from Air NZ black boxes NZ Herald Hamilton Metro
Breakthrough in Air NZ crash investigation BusinessDay.co.nz
Useful data retrieved from Air NZ Airbus black boxes Newstalk ZB
Radio New Zealand - Stuff.co.nz
all 21 news articles

Aviation - Google News

home | index |site map
© 2006