Yesterday, I arrived at the office and found a colleague who looked like an owl with a blocked nose. It had nothing to do with a virus, but was as a result of his flying from Toronto to Brisbane via Edmonton, San Francisco and Los Angeles… a total of 17 hours real flying time, crossing over nine time zones!
Because there is lots of anecdotal evidence to explain jet lag, I decided to ask one of the Australian scientific institutions currently studying jet lag to give us their input. Dr. Sinead O’Connell from Flinders Partners advised the following:
“For a great deal of sleep disorders, jet lag, and even seasonal depression, a mistimed internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, is responsible. Our internal body clock dictates not only when we feel drowsy, but also when we feel alert. An altered internal body clock can explain why some people have difficulty falling asleep at night (Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder) or why others may feel drowsy in the early evening and wake up early (Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder). It also explains the jet lag manifestations, since upon crossing time zones the body clock is in sync with departure times, rather than arrival times. Up to 80% of people on long haul flights succumb to jet lag. NASA estimates you need one day for every time zone crossed to regain normal rhythm and energy levels.”
Further, Dr. Burges from the Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory from Chicago, USA, says that “humans typically take longer to re-entrain, when they travel eastward compared to travelling westward.”
In another entry, we will talk about possible preventive measures and jet lag therapies.
PS: The good looking young lady in the picture is NOT the colleague I was referring to… Sorry!
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