Your Complete Guide to Reducing and Dealing with the Effects of Jet Lag

Jet Lag Facts: 
The chemical-based circadian clock in our bodies that tells us when to eat and sleep often goes haywire for the first week after a lengthy flight east or west. Unfortunately, jet lag can make getting adjusted to an unfamiliar place that much more difficult 
Jet lag is a physical reaction to a rapid change in time zones. It affects most travelers, including seasoned flyers like flight attendants and pilots. Common symptoms include disorientation, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, dry eyes, headaches, irregular bowels, and general malaise.
Crossing three or more time zones can wreak havoc on biological patterns and circadian rhythms. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland during darkness, causes us to feel drowsy when there is an absence of light. Until melatonin levels are regulated and become adjusted to your new time zone, the chemical clock that suggests when to sleep will not be in sync with your new location. 

Traveling west causes some jet lag, however, traveling east creates the most disturbance to circadian rhythms. This is because traveling east demands that our internal clock be advanced, which is more difficult to accomplish than delaying it. 
Insomnia
Daytime drowsiness
Waking up too early
Lack of appetite as your body confuses its mealtime
Lack of focus Difficulty concentrating  and mild depression   as a result of the lack of sleep from jet lag
irritability
·      Anxiety and mood swings due to time zone changes
·      Muscle soreness from the long plane ride
·      Headaches will be consistent as a result of the aircraft’s pressure and loud noises 
A general rule of thumb to keep in mind before any long trip is the 1:1 ratio: Allow yourself one day to recover for every hour of time difference that you experience. Some people find that they recover from jet lag more easily when traveling west instead of east (or vice versa). A U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) study suggests that recovering from jet lag naturally after traveling west requires a number of days equal to half the time zones crossed. That means flying west from JFK (Eastern Time Zone) to Bangkok will take the average traveler around six days in Thailand to completely beat jet lag. 

Before You Go
Treat your body well before you fly. Although it may be tempting to stay up all night before your flight in order to more easily fall asleep onboard, you should do the opposite. Jet lag can hit you harder if you’re tired, sick, or hungover. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep before you board your flight. Exercise, sleep well, stay hydrated, and stay sober. The worst thing you can do is get on a long flight with a hangover.

Some travelers like to exercise right before they go to the airport. (This can actually help you sleep better on the plane.) Once you’re at the airport, avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks. Instead, walk and take the stairs on the way to your check-in area and gate connections.
Adjust your habits before you leave. For example, if you’re traveling from the East to the West Coast of the U.S., you’re facing a three-hour time change and you should try to adjust your internal clock. A few days before you leave, try to stay up a little later than usual, and sleep in a little longer. If you become accust

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