I have just returned from an eleven-day trip to the Far East. Within those eleven days, I crossed times zones 28 times. Needless to say, my mind and body felt the wear and tear. On this trip, I monitored that wear carefully by using my Zeo system. What I found was enlightening and I will share it with you.
Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis, is a physiological condition that results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms. It results from rapid long-distance transmeridian (east–west or west–east) travel. The common symptoms include disorientation, irritability, fatigue, swollen limbs and eyes, headaches, cold-like symptoms, and irregular bowels. In essence, your body struggles to adjust to the exhaustion created by rapidly crossing time zones.
This trip started out with a late night flight to Portland Oregon from Atlanta Georgia. A four-hour flight that crossed three time zones in a westerly manner. I "gained" time but went to bed "early" and also awoke at 5 a.m. PST. This is normal behavior for westward travelers--early evening sleepiness and predawn awakening. In fact, the adjustment in sleep going from east to west is much easier than going in the opposite direction.
My Zeo recorded the first night's sleep as above average. I went to the gym early that morning and felt strong on my seven-mile treadmill run. That afternoon, I flew to Tokyo crossing ten time zones and arrived at the hotel around 6 pm. We had crossed the International Date Line and had "lost a day." I was tired, but not exhausted and was able to adjust to the new time rapidly and slept well for the next week.
Then the trip home. Leaving Tokyo at 3:30 in the afternoon, we arrived in Portland at 7:30 in the morning and were at the hotel by 9 a.m. My mind was in a fog and my body felt very sluggish. I went to bed and only slept 4 hours with a Zeo rating of 50 (very low for me). I got up and tried to get back to normal, but my body was fighting me. I ate dinner (I recommend Cassidy’s in Portland) and went to sleep early since my wake up call was at 4 a.m. My Zeo score was 29 that night after seven hours of sleep with hardly any deep sleep (remember- deep sleep is where your physical body recovers).
I flew back to Atlanta and arrived in the afternoon; by the time I got home, I was feeling the full power of jet lag. I did not feel like eating or, in fact, doing anything but laying around. I watched TV mindlessly then went to bed. I slept until I woke up 9 hours later with a ZQ score of 99. Most of it was in REM sleep and that tells me my mind needed the rest and recovery. My deep sleep was also above average for me. When I awoke, I felt somewhat back to normal.
Today, I am going for a long run to get back on track and will pay close attention to what I eat and how I rest. Even though jet lag is a hindrance to performance, it can be managed but not eliminated. I carefully followed a new protocol while on this trip; I ate high nutrition food, got plenty of exercise, did not drink alcohol, and tried to get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. For the most part, it worked and my recovery seems better than it has been in the past.
Some simple tips I have learned to help with jet lag:
• Drink plenty of water while on the plane (the cabin of most planes have the humidity level of the Sahara Dessert); ask the flight attendants for extras
• I add Nuun tablets to my water to help with the electrolytes--they seem to help
• Stay away for excessive caffeine and alcohol while flying
• On the plane, get out of your seat and stretch and walk (it keeps the blood flowing)
• Wear loose fitting clothes and shoes; bring a neck pillow, earplugs and a blindfold (I promise you that they help big time)
• Don't use sleeping pills: A report in England's Lancet medical journal blames 18 percent of long-haul deaths on blood clots to the lungs—and sleeping pills induce a comatose state with little natural body movement (thus reducing circulation, thus increasing the chance of clotting)
• Reset your clock to the new time when you push from the gate
• Daylight resets your body clock; get outside when you arrive at your new Destination (if you travel eastward, seek bright light in the morning. For westward travel, bright light in the afternoon helps)
• The best flights are those that arrive in the early evening and allow you to stay up until 10 p.m
• Upon landing, eat and sleep on the new schedule
• Allow one day for each hour of time zone change for recovery
There are no magic remedies or pills to take; jet lag is the body's reaction to sudden and dramatic shifts in its sleep schedule. The bottom line to managing it is to take good care of yourself. Get plenty of exercise, sleep, stay hydrated and stay sober before, during and after the flight. Properly handled, it won't interfere with your travels too much.
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