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Overcome jet lag: How it works
March 27, 2025
Jet lag is a phenomenon that affects people on and after long-haul flights. What exactly is this phenomenon and how can business travelers prevent jet lag?
What is jet lag?
Jet lag occurs during long flights when the time difference upsets our biorhythm. This is shown by the origin of the word itself, which is made up of the words jet (airplane) and lag (time difference). Sleep and wake phases are thrown out of sync and the body has no time to adjust to these shifts. Business travelers who have to perform immediately after arriving at their destination are particularly affected. How long the body suffers from the symptoms depends on the direction of the flight and the extent of the time difference.
Strictly speaking, it is impossible to escape jet lag completely. The body has its own rhythm. But there are a few tricks that you can take into account before and during the flight to make your business trip a success.
- Rule of thumb: You should allow half a day to a whole day to adjust for each time zone you fly over. Some bodily functions can adjust more quickly than others. It may well be that your body temperature has already adjusted while your sleeping and waking rhythms are still lagging behind, or vice versa.
Causes and symptoms of jet lag
The body can easily cope with a time difference of up to 2 hours. The first symptoms become noticeable after these 2 hours. The classic jet lag symptoms are
- Tiredness, exhaustion, fatigue, sleep disorders
- Mood swings
- Headache, dizziness
- Gastrointestinal complications
- Cravings
- Concentration difficulties
- slower reaction speed
Cravings are the result of fatigue and hormonal fluctuations. Fatigue causes less leptin to be produced, which is responsible for the feeling of fullness. It is therefore worth having healthy and fresh fruit nearby. The fruit’s own sugar tastes good, is filling and doesn’t give you an unnecessary boost like industrial sugar.
- As already mentioned, the body needs approx. one day to regenerate for each time zone crossed. For example, if you fly over 9 time zones in a westerly direction, you should expect an adjustment period of approx. 8 days. If, on the other hand, you fly eastwards, the adjustment period can take up to 13 days. Business travelers who fly a lot should therefore not underestimate the consequences of jet lag.
10 tips against jet lag
With the right preparation and a handful of tips, you can successfully combat jet lag without suffering. Here are a few important tips:
- If you don’t have to get by in a new time zone for more than three days, just try to continue living in the old time zone. Of course, this is only feasible if your day and night rhythms are not completely turned upside down and there are only a few hours’ time difference.
- Melatonin is known as a sleep hormone and can be purchased from pharmacies. In the USA, it is considered the best remedy for jet lag. So why not start your next trip well-prepared and well-rested?
- Keeping your stomach full on the plane and avoiding alcohol can help prevent you from arriving at your destination even more tired. Even if alcoholic drinks are often used to fall asleep, they dehydrate the body and make you tired.
- Short naps of 15 minutes have been proven to make you more alert than two cups of coffee and do not dehydrate you like the black drink. That’s why it makes sense for business travelers in particular to nap a little before and after arrival. This increases your performance if you already have your first meeting after landing.
- But coffee is not the enemy, as a study by Harvard University advises drinking a quarter cup of coffee per hour if you want to stay on top of your game. This is because the caffeine takes effect after about 15 to 20 minutes. If you drink too much coffee in a short space of time, you will notice a rapid drop in performance after a quick high. Other symptoms such as stomach problems, shaky hands and a racing heart may also occur.
Caution: Caffeine works for up to 6 hours. It is therefore advisable to only drink coffee until a certain time if you want to fall asleep at some point.
- There are glasses with blue light blockers, which are often used by business travelers. They ensure that you can enjoy the entertainment program on board without staying awake for an unnecessarily long time. This is because the blue light blocks the release of melatonin, which is why you can’t fall asleep while watching series or movies.
- After arrival, you are advised to do some sporting exercises to get your circulation going. Your body will thank you after a long flight. The body and brain are also supplied with fresh oxygen, which regulates the metabolism.
You can do these exercises in the fresh air or take a long walk afterwards. This is because sunlight ensures the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and the body adapts better to the new time zone.
- Harvard scientists have also discovered that fasting can help combat jet lag. Specifically, there is talk of 16 hours of fasting, as not only the light conditions but also food intake regulate the body. Whether it has to be exactly these 16 hours has not been proven. However, abstaining from food during the flight and only eating properly at your destination helps the body to adjust to the new time zone more quickly
- It is also helpful to change your watch to the local time at your destination while you are still on the plane. This allows you to mentally prepare for the new time zone and eat or take a nap when it is time to do so at your destination.
