Being tired and slightly disoriented for days after arriving, accompanied by a lack of concentration and motivation, especially for any activity that requires effort or skill, such as driving, reading or discussing a business deal. But even simple daily activities can become harder, and one's capacity to truly enjoy a tourist holiday is significantly reduced.
Broken sleep
Crossing time zones can cause you to wake during the night or have difficulty getting to sleep and then want to fall asleep during the day. Your inbuilt circadian rhythms have been disturbed, and it can take many days for the body to readjust to the new time zone. (NASA estimates you need one day for every one-hour time zone crossed to regain normal rhythm and energy levels. So a 5-hour time difference means you will require five days to get back to normal! Can you afford that?)
Confusion, fuzziness
Having to return to check two or three times to see if a hotel room was left locked or unlocked is typical of the effects reported by flight crews experiencing jet lag. Again, not good if you're on a business trip.
Becoming uptight
"Losing it" is another symptom reported by aircrew, which helps explain why longhaul flights get very tedious near the end, and why going through customs and immigration and getting to the hotel often seems like a real drama.
In addition to the above symptoms of jet lag, the syndrome is made worse by some common physical problems caused by being confined in an airliner for hours:
Dehydration
The dry atmosphere aboard aircraft can cause headaches, dry skin and nasal irritation, and make you more susceptible to any colds, coughs, sore throats and flu that are floating round in the aircraft.
Discomfort of legs and feet
Limbs swelling while flying can be extremely uncomfortable, and in some cases may prevent travellers wearing their normal shoes for up to 24 hours after arrival.
General health
A report from the World Health Organisation directly links jet lag with problems of diarrhoea caused by microbiological contamination of water or food, which it says affects about 50% of longhaul travellers. "Factors such as travel fatigue, jet lag, a change in diet, a different climate and a low level of immunity may aggravate the problem by reducing a traveller's resistance and making them more susceptible to this type of infection or poisoning," the report says.
The main but not the only cause of jet lag is crossing time zones. Usually going east is worse than going west. Children under three don't seem to suffer jet lag badly as they are more adaptive and less set in their ways. Adults who adjust readily to changes of routine also seem less susceptible to jet lag. Those who are slaves to a fixed daily routine are often the worst sufferers.
Your pre-flight condition
If you're over-tired, excited, stressed, nervous, or hungover before the flight, you are setting yourself up for a good dose of jet lag. How many times have you heard travelers say "Don't worry, I'll catch up on the flight"? Well you don't. The wise traveller who wants to get the most out of a trip has a good night's sleep prior to departure.
Dry atmosphere
The air aboard passenger jet aircraft is dry. To people who normally live in more humid conditions the change can be striking. The dryness can cause headaches, dry skin and dry nasal and throat membranes, creating the conditions for catching colds, coughs, sore throats or the flu. Drinking plenty of water helps, and some frequent flyers take a bottle of water with them. Some airlines supply water frequently to passengers, but others only have a small water fountain near the toilets. Coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks and fruit juices are not recommended. Water is what your body wants.
Cabin pressure
At a cruising altitude of near 30,000' the aircraft is pressurized to near 8,000'. Unless you live near 8,000' and are acclimatized to this pressure you may suffer from swelling, tiredness and lethargy.
Stale air
Providing a constant supply of fresh air in the cabin costs the airlines money, and some airlines are more willing to oblige than others. The air supply in business and first-class is often better than in economy class. A lack of good air helps make you tired and irritable and can cause headaches. Sometimes if you ask the flight attendants to turn up the fresh air they will do so.
Alcohol
The impact of alcohol on the body is 2-3 times more potent when you're flying. One glass of wine in-flight has the effect of 2-3 glasses on the ground. Add this to the other problems mentioned here, and you can get off the plane with a huge hangover that simply compounds the effects of jet lag.
Food and drink
Airline coffee and tea not only tend to taste awful - they have a higher than usual caffeine content and are abrasive on the stomach. Orange juice is also abrasive if you are not used to it. If you don't normally drink really strong coffee, tea or orange juice, don't try it while flying. Also go easy on the frequent meals served in-flight. You don't need them. And sitting in a cramped position puts extra pressure on your stomach. Also beware risky foods served on some airlines in certain parts of the world, including salads and cold meat and fish. According to WHO, 50% of international travellers get stomach problems, so dietary care is important while flying.
Lack of exercise
Lack of exercise is one of the worst aspects of longhaul flying. It makes the flight uncomfortable and sets you up for a longer period of jet lag afterwards. Do stretching exercises in your seat, especially for the legs, and if possible go for walks up and down the aisle. If you have a spare seat next to you, try to get your feet up. Get off the plane whenever possible at stopovers and do some exercises (don't worry what others think). If there is an opportunity during a ground stop, take a shower - it freshens you, tones the muscles and gets the blood moving again.
If your just flying across the US, you should not really have jet lag. 3 hours are not going to mess you up or make you trip balls. It's all in your head.
But if you must...
1) As you depart, set your watch to the local time of where you are going.
2) Try to get on that local schedule before you arrive.
3) Drink LOTS of water on the flight and DO NOT drink alcohol at all.
4) Get a good nights sleep before you travel. Lack of sleep with hurt you.
5) Pop a sleeping pill to put you out your first night there so you stay on schedule.
6) Fly business class or first if you can. You will sleep better on those flights.
7) If you stick with 1 or 2 airlines (and fly often) you can accumulate miles and use them for seat upgrades (coach to business for example).
Trust me here... I fly over 24 hours to parts of Asia all the time. I know a thing or two about jet lag.
SIG TOO BIG! Maximum 120x60 button and no more than 3 text lines of DEFAULT SIZE and COLOR.
Unless your sig is for a GFY top banner sponsor, you may use a 624x80 instead of a 120x60.
Let me repeat... A 120 x 60 button and no more that 3 lines of DEFAULT SIZE AND COLOR text.
i believe the general rule of thumb is that it takes your body 1 day to adapt to each hour difference. i think this is about right because when i fly back and forth between europe and the US, i am usually messed up for around a week. the only time i have ever came close to getting my sleep on track within a few days was when i stayed up for a couple days and then went to sleep at a normal evening time and woke up in 8hrs rested.
\
I am still onPacific time and its causing me to trip balls
It's probably not the time change, jetlag, etc...
Head to the nearest drugstore (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) and stock up on some of this. Break up the tablets into some bottled water. Drink one bottle an hour before the flight, and another bottle during the flight.
When you're on the plane, it's a pressurized germ tent. You are exposed to every illness of a few hundred people, kind of like in a BIG petri dish. Airborne has all kinds of natural vitamin, minerals, and extracts to help keep you immune to all the germs you'll be exposed to. It's only about $6 for 12 tablets, it disolves like alka-seltzer in water, and it REALLY does work. I've used it for years.
ICQ: 168-914-369 >>> sysop [at] TexasDreams [dot] com
Best way is to stay with the sun, the body changes to the new local hour the fastest way. Don't sleep if the sun is still up, or sleep if it's night, although you may not be sleepy yet.
went to hong kong not too long ago!
12 hours difference!
my suggestion: 40 ounce Johnnie Walker....it completely reboots your system
if it doesn't help, they sell jetlag pills at the drugstore. It helps to get rid of fatigue, insomnia.... (didn't do much for me, prefer the first option)
SEXinyourCITY Adult Dating for Everyone ICQ: 551-938
Comment