Feeling Weird After a Long Flight? Here Is Your Ultimate Guide to Beating Jet Lag!

Have you ever taken a very long flight from Sri Lanka to America, Australia, or Europe? After landing safely in your new destination, did you feel extremely tired, sleepy during the day, wide awake at night, and just plain weird all over your body? Even after returning home, you might have felt out of sorts for several days.

This common physical condition is medically known as jet lag. It is not a dangerous disease or a chronic illness, but it can certainly feel very frustrating and uncomfortable when you are trying to enjoy a trip or get back to work. Let us explore what happens to your body and how you can handle it easily.

Simply Put, What Is Jet Lag?

Inside every human body, there is a natural, built-in clock at work. Doctors and scientists call this your circadian rhythm. In simple terms, this is your body's natural schedule that controls when you feel sleepy at night, when you wake up in the morning, and when you feel hungry.

Imagine you live in Sri Lanka, where you normally go to sleep at 10 PM and wake up at 6 AM. Your body clock is fully used to this routine. Now imagine taking a 10-to-15-hour flight to a country that is several hours behind or ahead of Sri Lanka.

When you arrive, it might be daytime in your new location. However, your internal body clock insists, "No, it is nighttime back home, time to sleep!" That is exactly when the trouble begins.

Simply put, jet lag happens when the time where you are does not match the time your body clock thinks it is. Until your internal clock adjusts to the new time zone, the discomfort you feel shows up as physical and mental symptoms.

Is Traveling East Harder Than Traveling West?

This is a very common question among frequent flyers. According to medical experts and researchers, traveling eastward (for example, flying from America back to Sri Lanka or Europe to Asia) tends to cause more severe jet lag than traveling westward.

The main reason is that our bodies find it much easier to stay up a bit later and fall asleep later. However, forcing our bodies to fall asleep much earlier than usual is quite difficult.

When you travel east, the clock moves forward, forcing you to go to bed earlier than your normal routine. Your body resists this sudden change. That is why going in an eastward direction feels so much more exhausting.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Jet Lag?

Jet lag does not affect everyone in the exact same way. Some people might barely notice it, especially young children. However, the majority of adults experience one or more of the following symptoms after a long-haul flight.

Simply put, all these uncomfortable symptoms happen because your body is working hard to catch up with your new environment and time zone.

What Risk Factors Make Jet Lag Worse?

Anyone who crosses multiple time zones can experience jet lag. However, certain factors can increase your chances of having more severe symptoms.

• Number of Time Zones Crossed: If you cross more than three time zones, your risk of jet lag increases greatly. The greater the distance and time difference, the harder the adjustment.
• Your Age: Some scientific studies show that adults over age 60 may experience more pronounced jet lag because the body's internal clock naturally shifts and reacts more slowly.
• Pre-Flight Sleep Deprivation: If you did not sleep well in the days leading up to your trip, your body was already tired. This makes the impact of jet lag much heavier.
• Travel Stress: High levels of anxiety and stress about your travel plans can negatively affect your sleep quality and overall physical recovery.
• Caffeine and Alcohol Use: Eating coffee, tea, and alcoholic drinks during your flight can disrupt your normal sleep patterns. Also, these substances cause dehydration. Since airplane cabin air is naturally very dry, this makes your symptoms much worse. The best rule of thumb during a flight is to drink plenty of plain water.

How to Recover and Get Back on Track Quickly

Fortunately, jet lag is a temporary condition that improves on its own within a few days. You do not need strong medicines to fix it. However, you can use several practical strategies to reduce discomfort and help your body adjust faster.

Can Jet Lag Be Prevented?

While you cannot completely prevent jet lag when crossing many time zones, you can minimize its impact by preparing ahead of time.

A Few Days Before Your Trip

• If You Are Traveling East: If your destination is to the east (meaning time moves forward), start going to bed a little earlier and waking up a bit earlier a few days before departure.
• If You Are Traveling West: If your destination is to the west (meaning time moves backward), practice staying up a bit later and sleeping in a little later.
• Gradually adjust your meal times closer to the schedule of the country you will be visiting.

During Your Flight

• Drink plenty of water: This is the most crucial step for maintaining comfort and preventing dehydration.
• Avoid alcohol and excess caffeine: These drinks interfere with deep sleep and worsen dehydration.
• Sleep when appropriate: Try to rest or sleep during the hours that match nighttime at your destination.
• Move your body: Avoid sitting in one position for too long. Walk around the cabin when possible and do simple seated exercises:
  • Gently rotate your jaw, neck, and shoulders.
  • Slowly rotate your ankles in circles.
  • Straighten and bend your knees.
  • Take slow, deep breaths to stay relaxed.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Normally, jet lag does not require a visit to a doctor. The symptoms naturally fade within a few days or up to a week.

However, you should consult your family doctor if:

• Your symptoms do not improve after a week, or if they continue to get worse.
• Ongoing sleep problems start interfering with your daily work and normal life.

Scientific Sources and References

• 📚 Sun SY et al. Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2022.
• 📚 Matenchuk BA et al. Sleep, circadian rhythm, and gut microbiota. Sleep Med Rev. 2020.
• 📚 Stenvers DJ et al. Circadian clocks and insulin resistance. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019.
• 📚 Montaruli A et al. Biological Rhythm and Chronotype: New Perspectives in Health. Biomolecules. 2021.