“Body clock” is a twenty-four-hour rhythm of physiological processes of all living beings including animals, and plants. Jet lag is a condition resulting from alteration of this rhythm in a short period of time. When a person travels across a number of time zones in a day, the body processes which are conditioned by daylight and darkness cannot adjust quickly enough for the destination conditions. A person’s body-clock gets disoriented and is what we call jet-lag.
This disorientation can cause a person to be irritable, forgetful and tends to lose their concentration easily. The person may suffer from mild depression, disturbed sleep pattern and loss of appetite. Occasionally the person may suffer from dehydration and develop swollen or uncomfortable feet.
A long flight to places within the same time zone will not cause jet lag; it may give you cramps, headache and discomfort. A journey from Los Angeles to Tokyo which goes across time zones can cause jet lag, not the journey from Johannesburg to Frankfurt which is within the same time zone. Crossing time zones is the essential condition necessary for being jet lagged.
Jet lag does not affect all people all the time nor is its severity. The elderly seem to suffer much less from jet lag as compared to the younger ones. Also it seems to affect women of reproducing age group more often. It depends upon a person’s physiological adjustability. If you know you are prone to suffer from jet lag here are some of the precautions you can take that will cut down on the severity.
Try to start the journey in a relaxed frame of mind and avoid rushing around. A good night’s sleep on the day prior to the journey is helpful. During the flight take alcohol in moderation and drink plenty of water. Some light exercises such as stretching and walking up and down the aisle helps. Take off your shoes, wiggle the toes, stretch your legs and this will avoid swelling of the feet.
You can find many “anti jet lag” suggestions. Act on them with caution. Do not take sleeping pills to get over jet lag as some people may suggest; it may have rather unpleasant consequences. In some cases the jet lag condition may persist for many days. Experts suggest that the recovery rate that you can expect from jet lag is “one day per time zone.” Sleep well, eat a sensible diet, relax, and get some moderate exercise are the simplest cures for rapid recovery. How fun does this sound? A vacation is supposed to be a respite from all those “sensible” things. Enjoy your trip - Bon Voyage!
What did you think of these tips? Let me know.
Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”
http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog
