How to Prevent Jet Lag, Enjoy Travel
2024-08-31
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1Many travelers face a common problem: jet lag.
2It is the feeling of tiredness people get when traveling a long distance, resulting in a difference in daylight hours.
3Nobody wants to miss the fun because they are too tired to enjoy their vacation.
4Here are some tips on how to deal with jet lag:
5What is jet lag?
6Scientists define jet lag as the effect on the human body of traveling across time zones.
7Sofia Axelrod studies circadian rhythms at Rockefeller University in New York.
8She said a circadian rhythm is like a biological clock programmed into almost every cell in the body.
9"The clock is set by the 24-hour light and dark pattern," Axelrod said.
10"Every morning when we wake up, specialized (light) receptor cells in our retina receive a daylight signal, which is transmitted to the brain and from there, (to) the whole body."
11When we travel to another time zone, our eyes do not receive the daylight signal at the usual time.
12This causes our "internal clocks" to reset.
13But that process can take a while.
14During that period, we feel the effects of jet lag.
15Is jet lag preventable?
16People who travel long distances often want to prevent jet lag. One way has a high cost.
17Malcolm von Schantz is a professor who specializes in circadian rhythms at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England.
18He said that paying a lot for a bigger seat and more space in an airplane can prevent sleep deprivation.
19He knows most people cannot pay so much to travel.
20But he said timing your flights can help.
21For example, he suggests flying from Europe to North America during the day, so that it is evening when passengers land and they can get to sleep.
22"If you take the evening flight instead, you'll be woken up at midnight to be served breakfast and land an hour or two later, when both jet lag and sleep deprivation will hit you hard," he said.
23Von Schantz also said flying in newer model passenger jets, like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner, might help.
24He said those planes can maintain a more comfortable atmosphere inside, causing less tiredness.
25What should you do when you arrive?
26Experts say being in sunlight is important to resetting your internal body clock.
27That could mean either avoiding morning sun or seeking it out, depending on where you started.
28Getting light in the morning will move your body clock forward, while light exposure in the early evening will delay it.
29Sleeping for a short time during the day is acceptable, but scientists warn against sleeping for longer periods later in the day.
30Doing so might make it harder to sleep through the night.
31Are there supplements or medicines for jet lag?
32The brain naturally produces a chemical hormone called melatonin when the body thinks it is night.
33Taking melatonin as a supplement can be helpful.
34But it is not available everywhere and, in some countries like Britain and France, you need a doctor's permission.
35Von Schantz said that one of the good effects of melatonin is that you can start taking it before you travel, to begin the process of resetting your internal clock.
36"If you're in a part of the world where melatonin is available over the counter, you can combine the effects of light and melatonin to achieve the advance or delay (in your body clock) that you need," he said.
37What can you do to deal with the effects of jet lag?
38Russell Foster of Oxford University wrote a book on circadian rhythms.
39He said business travelers might want to consider arriving a day or two ahead of any important meetings or events.
40Being jet-lagged can lead to unwise decisions and unpleasant emotions.
41Tourists might not need to think as clearly as business travelers, but they should still be careful, he said.
42He advises tourists to get enough sleep before doing anything that might be risky or that requires a lot of attention, like driving.
43Foster said he tries to increase his exposure to light when he arrives at a new place to prevent jet lag.
44But he also has another method if light does not help: he drinks coffee.
45I'm Jill Robbins.
1Many travelers face a common problem: jet lag. 2It is the feeling of tiredness people get when traveling a long distance, resulting in a difference in daylight hours. Nobody wants to miss the fun because they are too tired to enjoy their vacation. 3Here are some tips on how to deal with jet lag: 4What is jet lag? 5Scientists define jet lag as the effect on the human body of traveling across time zones. Sofia Axelrod studies circadian rhythms at Rockefeller University in New York. She said a circadian rhythm is like a biological clock programmed into almost every cell in the body. 6"The clock is set by the 24-hour light and dark pattern," Axelrod said. "Every morning when we wake up, specialized (light) receptor cells in our retina receive a daylight signal, which is transmitted to the brain and from there, (to) the whole body." 7When we travel to another time zone, our eyes do not receive the daylight signal at the usual time. This causes our "internal clocks" to reset. But that process can take a while. During that period, we feel the effects of jet lag. 8Is jet lag preventable? 9People who travel long distances often want to prevent jet lag. One way has a high cost. 10Malcolm von Schantz is a professor who specializes in circadian rhythms at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. He said that paying a lot for a bigger seat and more space in an airplane can prevent sleep deprivation. 11He knows most people cannot pay so much to travel. But he said timing your flights can help. For example, he suggests flying from Europe to North America during the day, so that it is evening when passengers land and they can get to sleep. 12"If you take the evening flight instead, you'll be woken up at midnight to be served breakfast and land an hour or two later, when both jet lag and sleep deprivation will hit you hard," he said. 13Von Schantz also said flying in newer model passenger jets, like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner, might help. He said those planes can maintain a more comfortable atmosphere inside, causing less tiredness. 14What should you do when you arrive? 15Experts say being in sunlight is important to resetting your internal body clock. That could mean either avoiding morning sun or seeking it out, depending on where you started. 16Getting light in the morning will move your body clock forward, while light exposure in the early evening will delay it. Sleeping for a short time during the day is acceptable, but scientists warn against sleeping for longer periods later in the day. Doing so might make it harder to sleep through the night. 17Are there supplements or medicines for jet lag? 18The brain naturally produces a chemical hormone called melatonin when the body thinks it is night. Taking melatonin as a supplement can be helpful. But it is not available everywhere and, in some countries like Britain and France, you need a doctor's permission. 19Von Schantz said that one of the good effects of melatonin is that you can start taking it before you travel, to begin the process of resetting your internal clock. 20"If you're in a part of the world where melatonin is available over the counter, you can combine the effects of light and melatonin to achieve the advance or delay (in your body clock) that you need," he said. 21What can you do to deal with the effects of jet lag? 22Russell Foster of Oxford University wrote a book on circadian rhythms. He said business travelers might want to consider arriving a day or two ahead of any important meetings or events. Being jet-lagged can lead to unwise decisions and unpleasant emotions. 23Tourists might not need to think as clearly as business travelers, but they should still be careful, he said. He advises tourists to get enough sleep before doing anything that might be risky or that requires a lot of attention, like driving. 24Foster said he tries to increase his exposure to light when he arrives at a new place to prevent jet lag. But he also has another method if light does not help: he drinks coffee. 25I'm Jill Robbins. 26Maria Cheng reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. 27______________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29jet lag - n. a tired and unpleasant feeling that you sometimes get when you travel by airplane to a place that is far away 30time zone - n. any one of the world's 24 divisions that has its own time 31circadian rhythm - n. repeated activity in an organism that happens in 24-hour periods 32pattern -n. a regular or repeated happening 33retina - n. the sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that receives images and sends signals to the brain about what is seen 34deprivation - n. the state of not having something that people need 35comfortable -adj. to feel good and to not feel pain or discomfort 36hormone -n. a chemical produced by the body that influences how the body grows and develops 37over the counter - expression. available for purchase without a special note (called a prescription) from a doctor 38What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section.