Why is jet lag worse going east?

Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag This is because travelling west 'prolongs' the body clock's experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours). Travelling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock.



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Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag Your circadian rhythm (body clock) is less confused if you travel westward. This is because travelling west 'prolongs' the body clock's experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours).

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Say no to in-flight coffee, caffeinated soda and alcohol. Instead, drink plenty of water or other drinks that aren't going to dehydrate you. Dehydration can worsen the effects of jet lag. Move around and be active. Get as much bright light during the morning and afternoon as possible to help your body's clock adjust.

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It is widely acknowledged that jet lag is worse when travelling east, but this has nothing to do with the direction of Earth's rotation. Like many creatures, humans have a circadian rhythm that follows a 24-hour period and is kept in sync by the eyes' response to natural light levels over the day.

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After you arrive
  1. change your sleep schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible.
  2. set an alarm to avoid oversleeping in the morning.
  3. go outside during the day – natural light will help your body clock adjust.


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Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.

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Duration of Jet Lag: How Long It Lasts Researchers have found that, on average, it takes people about one day to adjust for each 1 to 1.5 hours of time change. So if you fly from the East Coast to the West Coast, which is a three-hour time difference, you should be over your jet lag in two to three days.

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It is a temporary sleep problem that usually occurs when you travel across more than three time zones but can affect anyone who travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag can affect your mood, your ability to concentrate, and your physical and mental performance.

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If you have the choice, try to book a flight that leaves between 8 am and noon and arrives between 6 pm and 10 pm. According to this book, flights that leave late at night (10 pm-1 am) and arrive in the morning (8 am to noon) give a much bigger risk for jet lag.

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Symptoms may be more pronounced as more time zones are crossed. Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west.

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Our 9 Simple Tips for Avoiding Jet Lag
Make sure you start your trip well-rested. Try to get some sleep on the plane, but only at the time when it's night at your destination. Drink lots of water during the flight. You may want to take it easy on alcoholic drinks and caffeine.

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The body needs anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to acclimatise to the new time zone – approximately one day for each hour of time zone changes.

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Some people withstand jet lag better than others — possibly because they may be more sensitive to light, they're simply better at falling asleep, or they're just more tolerant of discomfort.

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A jet lag rule of thumb says it normally takes one day per time zone to get back to “normal” (flying west to east). That means, after a nine-hour time change on a flight from the US west coast to Germany, you'll need nine days before your body fully adjusts to Central European Time.

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Jet lag ?? after arriving in Japan can be brutal, especially if you're coming from Western Europe. Japan is 7 hours ahead of Western Europe in the summer and 8 hours ahead in the winter. When it is 2 p.m. in London and 9 a.m. in New York, it is 11 p.m. the same day in Tokyo.

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It's caused by the disruption of your circadian rhythms (how daylight influences the body's natural cycle),which means jet lag tends to become a problem if flying across four or more time zones - like a trip from London to New York.

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