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Avoiding jetlag

Most people who travel long distances complain of jetlag - the fatigue, indigestion, sleeping problems and general malaise that disrupt the first few days in a new time zone. Jetlag makes business travelers less productive and more prone to making mistakes, and keeps holidaymakers from enjoying their time off.

Jetlag is actually caused by disruption of your "body clock" - a small cluster of brain cells that controls the timing of biological functions (circadian rhythms), including when you eat and sleep. The body clock is designed for a regular rhythm of daylight and darkness, so that it is thrown out of "sync" when it experiences daylight and darkness at the "wrong" times in a new time zone. The symptoms of Jetlag often persist for days, if not weeks, while the internal body clock slowly adjusts to the new time zone. Always take jetlag into account on any change of more than 3 or more time zones.

How to avoid

Establish a "going to sleep routine" that can travel with you easily, such as listening to audio tapes, reading a book, etc.
Get several good nights' sleep before your trip.
Try to take a flight that arrives at night, so you can go straight to bed.
If you need to be at your absolute best upon arrival at your destination, insure this by including another day, leaving prior to your original date of arrival.
To reset your biological clock for a wide time change, stay up 24+ hours and go to sleep at the normal time destination.
Sleep on the plane (although not during descent).
Try to use a rest room in the airport terminal before departure. On some flights the cabin crew begins beverage service shortly after the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign is turned off, and the serving cart may block access to the lavatories.
Once arriving at your destination, do not take a nap until it is the normal time to go to sleep.
The next morning at your destination, go for a half hour walk in the bright morning sunlight.
Do not eat right before you go to sleep, and when you do, eat a light dinner.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine-based beverages; substitute drinking a lot of water.
Change your sleep-wake cycle by turning off the lights in your bedroom at bedtime in your destination time zone, and leave the window shades down in the morning.
Carbohydrates make you sleepy and protein will keep you awake. Eat heavy carbohydrate meals for 2 days prior to the trip and a heavy protein meal on the day of departure.
Most flights are run according to the time of departure point, not the destination. If you need to sleep according to the light/dark cycle of your destination, remember to bring along dark eye shades and ear plugs.
Many people recommend taking melatonin at dusk or bedtime for your destination time, a day or two before departure, as well as continuing for a day or two upon your arrival. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland at the base of the brain during the night and can be used to shift the circadian rhythm - otherwise known as "your biological clock". Melatonin production is highest in the dark and is suppressed by exposure to sunlight. Melatonin is available from most health stores. Note: Never take any medicines without consulting your physician!

Once conditioned, your body will respond much easier to these stimuli and established routines.

Jetlag Clock

The Jetlag Calculator suggests following a carefully timed program of light and dark around the time your body clock is most responsive to these signals to quickly reset your body clock to the new time zone with the help of a new anti-jetlag system (check their site for details). Instead of taking a week or more to adjust to an intercontinental journey the traveler can become fully adapted to the new time zone in just one or two days, through controlled exposure to bright light.

Step 1: How many time zones are you traveling across?

A successful time zone shift depends on knowing the exact times to seek and avoid bright light. Exposure to light at the wrong time can actually make Jetlag worse. The proper schedule for light exposure depends a great deal on specific travel plans. Taking a night flight to Tokyo for instance creates very different demands than a day flight to Los Angeles. Personal variables are important too; a "night owl" person typically needs a different schedule to a "lark."

The calculator needs 2 pieces of information to determine the best schedule for your trip. Firstly it needs an indication on how many time zones your trip will cover, varying from 3., 4., …up to 12 hours. Please note that if your journey covers 2 or fewer time zones then lights are not necessary. Sometimes even quite long journeys will not cover many time zones for instance South America to/from USA, Southern Africa to/from Europe. If you are traveling over 12 time zones (in other words you are going the long way round), then subtract the number from 24 (e.g. 14 time zones is equivalent to 10).

Step 2: What time do you normally wake up? <

Personal variables are important; a "night owl" person typically needs a different schedule to a "lark."

The calculator needs 1 more piece of information to determine the best schedule for your trip. You have already indicated the number of time zones your journey covers.

Step 3: Here is your personal Jetlag Trip Guide.

The jetlag guide is provided to help you combat jetlag by quickly resetting your body clock to that of the time zone you are traveling to. The schedule incorporates the latest scientific advances in circadian sleep-wake physiology and photobiology into the recommendations for your trip.

To adjust your body clock you need to control your light environment; the timing of this is very important. Depending on your journey you may need to start after you have arrived say in your hotel room, or occasionally while you are traveling. If you forget to start at a specified time, then start as soon as you remember and be especially careful to remember the time when you switch from seeking bright light to avoiding light and vice versa. Jetlag can be made worse if the timings are not followed carefully.

Seeking bright light - When the Trip Guide calls for bright light (frequently this turns out to be after you have arrived) you should spend time outdoors if possible as normal indoor lighting or the light coming through a window is not bright enough to reset the biological clock. (The amount of light you need is about enough to take a photo with a low cost camera without using flash). If it is dark or overcast out, or the weather is bad, or you are on an airplane you can use the Jetlag Light Visor™ to provide the necessary light stimulus. The patented Visor is a comfortable, lightweight head piece that looks like a tennis visor.

Avoiding light - The Trip Guide indicates specific times when exposure to light would be counter productive. Stay indoors and away from windows if possible during these times. If you need to go outside at a time the Guide tells you to avoid light, wear appropriate light blocking glasses that are designed to reduce light to appropriate levels (normal sunglasses typically are not dark enough). Take care not to wear them in a situation where the light level is too low for them to be worn safely. Specially coated Light Control Glasses™ come with the Jetlag Combat Kit™. Using the Jetlag Combat Kit™ and the Trip Guide the traveler can adapt in 1 or 2 days instead of the usual week or more.

For more details on the various products, visit the bodyclock.com web site.

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