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What is jet lag? -

When a person travels across multiple time zones, usually by plane, their internal body clock can be disrupted. The body’s clock is known as its circadian rhythm (basically a cycle that repeats every 24 hours), and any disruptions to this cycle can truly have horrible effects on a person’s health.

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Symptoms -

Symptoms of jet lag include insomnia, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and even gastrointestinal issues. The severity of the symptoms can vary depending on how many time zones have been crossed and also how susceptible each individual person is.

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The body’s clock -

Your body is essentially a well-oiled machine with a 24-hour timer on it. All your biological needs (such as sleeping and metabolism) try to fit into this 24-hour schedule, which is aligned to the light of our environment. Traveling across time zones can confuse this system, as the new environment presents a different light-dark cycle that causes the body to be out of sync.

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Cognitive functions -

Jet lag can severely impact a person’s cognitive abilities. Not only can they have slower reaction times, but they would also have impaired memory and decision-making skills. This can be really bad for people who have jobs that require high levels of concentration.

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Immune system -

Jet lag can weaken the immune system, making travelers more susceptible to infections. This can actually cause a snowball effect, whereby people would be unable to function for an even longer period of time because they are suffering from both jet lag and illness.

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Physical health -

Jet lag can drastically affect your physical health, causing symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, and extreme physical fatigue.

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Chronic jet lag -

If jet lag persists and isn’t treated, it could even result in more serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Shockingly, extensive complications from jet lag can even result in certain types of cancer.

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Driving -

One of the often-ignored side effects of jet lag is how much it can negatively impact your ability to drive. Drowsiness after a flight means that you would be at higher risk of causing an accident on the road.

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Age -

Similar to the way that diseases can affect older people more significantly, jet lag can also have a far harsher impact on an older person’s health. This is especially true for people over the age of 60.

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Job performance -

For business travelers, jet lag can impair job performance significantly. Fatigue and reduced cognitive function can lead to mistakes and lower productivity, effectively ensuring that every business trip has problems attached.

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Safety concerns -

In jobs that involve operating heavy machinery or other safety-critical tasks, jet lag can pose serious risks. Reduced alertness and slower reaction times increase the likelihood of accidents and errors.

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The importance of sleep - Quality sleep is crucial to perform a job properly, but jet lag disrupts a person’s sleep patterns and makes it hard to achieve restorative sleep. If left untreated, this can spiral into chronic sleep deprivation that only worsens over time.

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Adaptation -

It can be very difficult for a person’s body to adapt to traveling. In fact, it takes about one day on average for someone to adapt to each hour of time zone that they have traveled. For example, a round trip from New York to London would take five days of adaptation both ways. That’s 10 days of recovery time needed!

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Short trips -

The problem is that many business trips are not long enough to allow employees to adapt to new time zones, and so they are not performing at their best. When this cost is multiplied across all traveling employees and across every business trip, you can see how businesses can lose a tremendous amount of money thanks to jet lag.

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Duty to employees -

Employers have a duty to care for their employees and to ensure that they are healthy and safe while traveling for business. This includes arranging reasonable travel schedules and recovery time, as well as providing information on how to manage jet lag symptoms.

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Pre-travel -

If you intend on traveling across multiple time zones, you can prepare for jet lag by gradually adjusting your sleep schedule to match your destination time zone before departure. This can help ease the transition and reduce the severity of jet lag symptoms upon arrival.

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Lifestyle -

If you tend to travel a lot, we recommend that you try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, since this can help mitigate the effects of jet lag. Regular exercise and a balanced diet can truly support your overall well-being and improve your body’s ability to adjust to new time zones.

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Light -

A key strategy to combating jet lag is by managing how much light you are exposed to. By seeking out natural light during the day and avoiding bright screens before bedtime, your body’s internal clock can be reset and your sleep quality can improve.

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Medication and supplements -

Some travelers have been known to find relief from jet lag symptoms through medication or supplements such as melatonin. Melatonin can help regulate your sleep-wake cycles, but it should be used with caution and ideally under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

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Hydration -

Staying hydrated is essential during travel, as dehydration can worsen jet lag symptoms. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol intake can help travelers feel better and adjust more quickly.

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In-flight -

While traveling, there are some steps that you can take to minimize jet lag, including staying hydrated, moving around periodically, and trying to sleep according to the destination’s nighttime schedule. If you struggle to sleep on an airplane, perhaps consider using sleep masks and earplugs.

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Post-travel -

After arriving at the destination, adapting to the local schedule as quickly as possible can help mitigate jet lag. This includes scheduling meals and sleep times according to the new time zone.

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Technology - Interestingly, there are various cell phone apps available to help travelers manage jet lag. They tend to provide personalized recommendations for adjusting sleep schedules, light exposure, and even caffeine consumption based on your itinerary and travel destination.

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Monitoring sleep -

There is also some wearable technology and sleep tracking devices that can help travelers monitor their sleep patterns and adjust their routines accordingly. These tools provide an in-depth look behind sleep quality and can provide a guide to improve rest.

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Support programs -

Employers might even find it beneficial to offer support programs for employees who frequently travel. Resources such as counseling and sleep management workshops can provide valuable tools to help employees manage jet lag and maintain their well-being.

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Natural remedies - Some travelers find relief from jet lag through natural remedies such as herbal teas, aromatherapy, or relaxation techniques like meditation. These methods can help promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

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Meeting times -

It would even be advantageous for employers to schedule meetings and important business activities to align with the adjusted time zones of travelers. This can help reduce the impact of jet lag on performance and enhance productivity.

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Feedback -

Since employers have a responsibility to their employees, they should gather feedback from business travelers on their experiences with jet lag and its impact on performance. This information can inform better travel policies in the company overall.

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Extensive healthcare -

If you ever find yourself suffering from extreme symptoms of jet lag, such as fever or vomiting, then we highly recommend you contact a healthcare provider. If left unchecked, these symptoms can cause irreparable damage to your body, so it’s best to be safe.

Sources: (CDC) (Cleveland Clinic) (WebMD) (Timeshifter)

See also: The best (and worst) airports in the world in 2024

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