Jetlag
Posted on: Tue, 2006-09-12 15:49
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Jetlag
Jetlag affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally. A physical example is swollen feet. A mental example is disorientation. An emotional one is anxiety.
Jetlag is caused by a complex combination of circumstances.
The environmental deviations of traveling, e.g., shifts in time, modifications in climate and the sickening environment while flying, e.g. deprivation of air and humidity are some of its causes. There is no quick fix to jetlag. However, here are a few strategies that can help minimize it:
1. Spend some time every day outdoors.
2. Set your watch to local time.
3. Sleep and eat on local time.
4. Schedule work for maximum energy according to your home time.
The ONLY thing that really works for me is to force myself into the new time zone. This means I don't go to bed before midnight local time (midnight is my normal time). No matter if it is just 11am and I am tired as hell, I won't lay down and sleep.
Once I do this, I wake up the next morning and the jetlag is completely gone. I will have adjusted 100%.
To summarize, I agree with 2,3, not sure about 1 and disagree with 4.
4 is also not always possible.
Andre
Jet lag can show symptons such as insomnia, daytime fatigue, stomachaches, headaches, irritability, and decreased awareness. The degree of disruption varies greatly among people; some may not be bothered at all. Jet lag is a transient sleep disorder and is classified differently than other, more serious disorders. Although jet lag occasionally lasts for a week or more, travelers usually return to their normal sleep-wake pattern after a day or two. I am lucky I dont suffer to badly from Jet lag.
Perhaps it is just a way of adjusting ourselves to jetlag. Once we are used to travelling and experience the different problems, e.g., jetlag, ear pressure, we'll be able to find a way to lessen them and adjust accordingly.