The verdict: Traveling several time zones to the east causes worse jet lag than flying the same number of time zones west, and although the precise mechanism isn’t known, it probably reflects the greater difficulty of advancing rather than delaying the body’s internal clock.
Is traveling east worse for jet lag?
Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two of travel if you’ve traveled across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the more time zones that you’ve crossed, especially if you travel in an easterly direction.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west?
Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west13. Jet lag differs based on the direction of travel because it’s generally easier to delay your internal clock than advance it. Jet lag does not occur on north-south flights that do not cross multiple time zones.
Why is jet lag worse in east?
A study published in 2016 crunched the numbers on why travelling east is worse for jet lag. In short, your body’s natural rhythm follows a 24.5-hour day, slightly longer than the standard 24-hour sun-up, sun-down rhythm. That means that if you’re travelling east over many timezones, you’ll ‘lose’ additional time.
Which direction should you avoid jet lag?
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).
How do you beat jet lag going east?
You can help prevent or reduce jet lag by following these tips and strategies:
- Snooze on the plane. Try to sleep on the plane if you’re traveling eastward and into a new day.
- Select flight times strategically.
- Power nap.
- Plan extra days.
- Anticipate the change.
- Don’t hit the booze.
How do pilots deal with jet lag?
Get out, walk around and take in some fresh air. Eat meals on the local schedule and go to bed on the local schedule. It should be easy to fall asleep the first night since you’ll so tired. But on the second night, it’s common to wake up in the very early morning hours and have trouble getting back to sleep.
Why do planes only fly east?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the jet stream flows toward the east, giving a boost to eastward flights and working against westward flights. The speed of jet streams ranges from 80 to 140 miles per hour (130 to 225 kilometers per hour), and flying in one can save the airline time, fuel, and, duh, money.
What is the fastest way to adjust to jet lag?
Try out these tips:
- Start adjusting light exposure before your trip to decrease the length of time you will feel jet lagged.
- Consider taking melatonin supplements if you’re traveling east.
- Time your flight.
- Try to sleep during your flight.
- Avoid short layovers in extra time zones if you can.
How do Americans avoid jet lag in Europe?
Other advice to beat jet lag generally goes like this:
- Start preparing by moving your bedtime earlier, if you’re heading eastward.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
- Move around.
- Consider wearing an eye mask, earplugs and neck pillow.
- Wear pajama-like comfortable clothing.
- Consider medication — melatonin, maybe sleeping pills.
When should you avoid jet lag?
If you are a plane-snoozer, look for flights that arrive around lunchtime. You’ll want to make the most of your extra half-day at your destination and moving about will send your body the message that it’s time to be up and about, even if it’s 3 am back home.
Do you lose time flying east?
When you travel west, the Sun gets lower and lower in the sky. It is as though you are seeing the Sun as it would be at an earlier time in the day. We can make this more precise by saying that as you travel East you will gain time, and as you travel west you will lose time.
Can jetlag be fatal?
According to researchers at the University of Virginia, jetlag can kill you — at least, that is, if you are an elderly mouse. But the study does raise some red flags for humans, too.
Should you nap with jetlag?
Can Naps Help With Jet Lag? A quick nap may help you overcome excess daytime sleepiness related to jet lag, but it’s important to be careful with naps. If you nap for too long or too late in the day, it may throw off your sleep schedule even more.
How can I avoid jet lag in 12 hours?
Minimizing jet lag
- Gradually switch before the trip. For several days before you leave, move mealtimes and bedtime incrementally closer to the schedule of your destination.
- Stay hydrated.
- Switch your bedtime as rapidly as possible upon arrival.
- Use the sun to help you readjust.
Are overnight flights better for jet lag?
Before my flight, I talked to the experts. Scientists who study sleep still maintain it’s best to take an overnight flight because it may be easier to keep the body’s internal clock, your circadian rhythm, synced. Night flight allows you maximize sun exposure during the day at your destination.
How does melatonin prevent jet lag?
Take melatonin 20 to 30 minutes before sleep (for eastward travel, melatonin can also be taken en route, 30 minutes prior to the target bedtime at your destination. It doesn’t need to be taken en route for westward travel). Take only the dose you need. A typical dose for melatonin ranges from 0.5mg to 5mg.
Do pilots get bored on long flights?
“You are always watching, monitoring, and managing the flight’s progress, as well as keeping an eye on the airplane’s various systems, but yes, it can get boring up there.”
Do pilots get nervous during turbulence?
Turbulence is a sudden and sometimes violent shift in airflow. Those irregular motions in the atmosphere create air currents that can cause passengers on an airplane to experience annoying bumps during a flight, or it can be severe enough to throw an airplane out of control. “(The pilots) aren’t scared at all.
How do celebs deal with jet lag?
Sleep Ranks High Among Jet Lag Remedies
“Have a bath the moment you get to the other end and then go to sleep!” Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey also says “Sleep it off!” Dax Shepherd suggests sleep too, but wife Kristen Bell offers more ideas. “A good diet helps with jet lag.
Why do no planes fly over Pacific Ocean?
The Pacific Ocean is a massive body of water that will require an extremely large amount of fuel to fly across. Rather than flying directly across the Pacific Ocean, most commercial flights take curved routes because they are actually shorter than shooting straight across a distance.