Question 1

What is jet lag and what are the symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Jet lag, medically known as desynchronosis or flight fatigue, is a temporary sleep disorder that happens as a result of travelling through multiple different time zones. Common symptoms include sleeping problems, severe fatigue, headaches, moodiness, and digestive issues because your natural sleeping rhythm has been knocked out of sync.

Question 2

What causes jet lag when travelling?

Accepted Answer

Jet lag is caused by crossing different time zones, which disrupts your internal body clock, or circadian rhythm. Your body is naturally programmed on a 24-hour cycle to sleep when it is dark and wake when it is light. When you travel to a new time zone, your body still works to its original schedule, causing tiredness, irritability, and stomach upsets as it struggles to cope with the new local time.

Question 3

Why is jet lag worse when travelling east compared to west?

Accepted Answer

People travelling east usually experience the most problems with jet lag because they 'lose' time, meaning the internal body clock has to advance. It is biologically more difficult for your body to advance its sleep schedule than it is to delay it, which is why travelling west typically results in milder jet lag symptoms.

Question 4

How can I treat jet lag and adjust my body clock faster?

Accepted Answer

To treat jet lag faster, you can use medications like Circadin, which contains melatonin (the natural hormone that promotes sleep) to help your body clock adjust to the new time zone. Some travellers also use sleeping tablets before a flight. You can also minimise symptoms naturally by adjusting your sleep schedule before travelling, adapting to the local eating and sleeping schedule as soon as you land, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine.

Jet Lag

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What is jet lag?

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Medically Reviewed By:

Rachael Clarke