People who travel a lot experience jetlag. Athletes, who travel
to different countries for their tournament, attribute their
poor performance on jetlag. Business people, who go to various
places for business meetings and other matters, hold jetlags as
accountable for their bad days. This goes to show that jetlag
affects not only the physical condition of the body but the
entirety of an individual.
Jetlag, basically, refers to
condition of the body being disoriented. More often than not,
jetlags are a result of crossing time zones which affects the
internal body clock of an individual. Some of the common
symptoms of jetlag are inability to sleep at night, loss of
drive, malaise, tiredness, inability to concentrate, and
headaches.
Generally, the severity of jetlags is dependent on the direction of the
travel. Most experts say that the occurrences of jetlags are lesser when people
travel westward than eastward. This is because the body rhythm is extended up to
27 hours when a person flies westward. In turn, the body is able to catch up
with whatever changes in the environment
Moreover, the so-called “circadian rhythm” is greater than 24 hours when a
person travels westward. This is because the time of the day is lengthened,
thus, giving more time for the body to adjust.
In reality, there are no quick fixes to “cure” the signs of jetlags. However,
there are ways to deal with it so as to start healthier in the new environment.
Here’s how:
1. Staying outside during the day is recommended to cope up with jetlags.
This is because the person’s body clock will be able to adjust at a faster rate
if it will become accustomed to the new surroundings. Usually, natural light
aids in coping up with jetlags.
2. It would be better for a person to adjust their bedtime schedules so as to
prevent the severity of jetlags. In this way, their body clock will be able to
cope up with the changes in the time setting.
3. It is best if people will start eating, sleeping, and doing their usual
activities patterned to the local time setting of the new place and not from the
usual time they do it back home.
4. For people who travel because of some important event like the athletes or
the entrepreneurs, it is best if they travel way ahead of time to their event
schedules. This is to give them more time to adjust and get accustomed of the
area.
So, jetlags are not so much of a problem. It is just a matter of adjustment
and coping up. After which, people can now enjoy the new scenery.
