Jet Lag – How to Handle it !

Introduction:

Many people experience jat lag as a result of traveling across multiple time zones. Jet lag is usually more obvious when flying east and less so when flying west. The range of symptoms includes sleep disturbances, daytime fatigue, weakness, headache, sleepiness, and irritability. Most symptoms disappear by the fifth day after traveling across a 6-hour time zone. It is difficult to compensate for jet lag for trips shorter than 3 days. 

Tips for Reducing Jet Lags

• When possible, choose daytime flights to minimize los of sleep and fatigue. 
• Eat lightly and drink lots of water.
• Avoid large fatty meals, caffeine, and alcohol during the flight.
• Adjust meal and sleeping times to those of the destination upon arrival. It may be even more effective to begin the process gradually several days before the trip, if possible. 
• Get daylight exposure as soon as possible upon arrival.
• If traveling to the east, get exposure to morning light; if traveling to the west, get exposure to afternoon light. This will help the body adjust to the changed sleep-wake cycle.

Prevention of Jet Lag With Drugs

• Consult a health care provider about the use of medications such as Melatonin or Zolpidem (Ambien) and the timing of their use, if appropriate. Sedatives are no longer recommended on airline flights due to the risk of blood clots in the legs during prolonged immobility.
• Zopidem (Ambien) is a hypnotic that has been shown to be as effective as melatonin. It can be used to induce sleep after arrival at the appropriate destination time-zone sleeping time, when the body is jet lagged and cannot fall asleep. It can be used for up to 2-3 nights at each end of the trip. 
• Melatonin is a natural hormone in the body that aligns sleep cycles and other physiologic functions. In the U.S., melatonin supplements are not regulate by the FDA, so there purity and potency cannot be guaranteed. Melatonin can cause sleepiness and reduced alertness.
• Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy. Reduces Jet Lag – Helps to alleviate body stress and fatigue due to disruptions in the body’s natural clock rhythm

My Opinion and Tips