This is what researchers from the University of Virginia have proved in their study in 2007. However, they only experimented on old and young mice, not humans. They exposed these animals to light-cycle shifts similar to what causes jet lag and they found out that these changes of routine would hasten the death of older mice. They also noted that shifting time forward had a worse effect on the survival of mice than shifting time backward. Younger mice survived any conditions. The research experiment did not show clearly the cause of death for the older mice but chronic stress and increased corticosterone levels were believed to be high-risk factors. Scientists further suggested that death was linked to sleep deprivation or immune-system disruption. Humans, like mice, have physiological rhythms and changes in light cycles when we travel across time zones affect our circadian rhythms, or what is commonly called our internal clock.
So, if you are a frequent traveler, who regularly travels the world, should you worry about dying prematurely and upgrade your life insurance premium? Probably not. However, it is worth finding out more about the causes, consequences and possible remedies to jet lag.
What is generally named “jet lag’ is a temporary condition that we experience when we travel by plane across time zones. Studies have shown that it affects over 90% of travelers. This phenomenon impacts on our internal clock or circadian rhythms. Our body clock is aligned with the external environment where we live. When these times change, new sunlight and dark times dictate a different pattern and make us feel tired, lethargic or overexcited and sleepless. It does not affect everyone in the same way but, if you have experienced bad jet lag before, you will know that it can seriously affect your wellbeing , whether at work or during your holidays. Symptoms associated with jet lag are insomnia, fatigue, stomachache, headaches, decreased awareness and irritability. Jet lag belongs to the sleep disorder group that affects the nervous system. Passengers travelling east suffer more and longer from jet lag that travelers going west. NASA estimates recovery rates of 1 day per 1.5 westward time zone or 1 day per eastward time zone. So if you are travelling West and the time difference is 9 hours, you will need 6 days to recover from jet lag whereas if you are travelling east you will need up to 9 days.
Nowadays, travelling by air has become a common demand of many professions, holiday makers have access to more frequent and cheaper flights and the obvious consequence is that jet lag is a condition affecting many more people. Clinilabs, an American state-of-the-art research facility in midtown Manhattan was recently looking for volunteers for their experiment on jet lag as part of a larger study on sleep disorders. Their chosen volunteers had to complete the study spending time in both New York and France. As it happened, it wasn’t the perfect opportunity to be sipping Champagne sitting at a Parisian café staring at the Eiffel tower in the background for free. Participants travelled to undergo initial tests in New York, including an overnight stay before they were asked to travel by private jet out to a facility near the French - Swiss border. There, they had ample time to stare at the bucolic countryside with electrodes attached to them. From an outside point of view, this research is proof that there is a strong market for jet lag remedies. Just google “jet lag” and you will have almost instant access to miraculous drugs, diets and gadgets, all claiming to be the one and only cure to this travelling condition.
Perhaps the first to get on the market was Melatonin. Years back, many travelers would stock up with the drug in countries like Hong Kong where you could buy it over the counter. It was simply prohibited or illegal in other countries. Melatonin is known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine. It is a hormone naturally found in animals and in some other living organisms. In our body, circulating levels of melatonin vary in a daily cycle and increased levels make us feel sleepy whereas decreased levels make us more alert. Circadian rhythms occur during a 24 hour period and they dictate many functions of our body such as temperature, endocrine glands, breathing, kidney function and sleep. In order to cure sleep disorders such as jet lag, some believed that taking extra melatonin would help our circadian rhythms to adjust to the new night and light patterns of our destination. Unfortunately conflicting evidence has brought strong doubts on the use of Melatonin. Because it linked to the effects of the day and night patterns, the timing of the dose is crucial. If taken at the wrong time or if the traveler forgets to take it after a couple of days, his jet lag will even be worse. Increasing levels of melatonin can reduce the brain’s state of excitation but makes you feel drowsy and less alert.
Scientists have searched elsewhere and a recent study on hamsters shows that Viagra (sildenafil) has caused a 50% faster recovery from shifts simulating eastward travel. It also seems to be effective at low doses. No humans have tested this drug for this end yet….
Herbal medicine has also answered the call. No-Jet-Lag is a homeopathic remedy that claims to be highly effective without any side effects. It can be taken by travelers of all ages including children and pregnant women. Its five active homeopathic ingredients are: Arnica Montana (or leopard’s bane), Bellis Perennis(or daisy), Chamomilla (or wild chamomile) , Ipecacuanha (or Ipecac) and Lycopodium (or clubmoss). These plants are traditionally used to relieve sleeplessness and other pains and promote healing generally. Combined, manufacturers claim that they help adjusting to new times zones, sleep throughout the night, feel rested, focused and calm.
Moving down the list is a somehow mechanical but complicated diet that aims to prevent jet lag. The Anti-Jet-Lag Diet can be ordered from the internet too. It uses the same cues that cause jet lag: meal times, sunset, sunrise and daily cycles of rest and activity. Have you ever suffered from jet lag and woken up in the middle of the night starving for a huge dinner? Meals are central to this preventative cure but it is more than a diet, alternating days of feasting and fasting and tells you when to be active or not. Meals often regulate your activities because they send signals to the body about waking up and going to sleep. On feast days you can have three meals a day, take second helpings, lots of proteins for breakfast and lunch and carbohydrates for supper. Whereas proteins tell the body that it’s time to be awake and active, carbohydrates bring on sleep. Fast days are the opposite and meals should be small, low in calories and caffeine should only be taken between 3 and 5pm, when caffeine has the least effect on the body’s rhythms. The advantage of such a diet is that the traveler is not using any chemicals nor taking any medicine but it certainly requires a lot of discipline and might cause too many constraints on our daily routine. It needs to be started a three days before departure and continued for three days after arrival. How will that fit into your crammed agenda of good bye parties and invitations by your guests at destination?
The importance of the acclimatization to the new environment’s light and dark cycles has generated other remedies aiming to control exposure to light. The simplest of them is wearing sunglasses on arrival. For the first three days at your new destination, you should wear sunglasses until 10:00am to help your body adjust. Scientist say that Blue Light Emitting Diodes (LED Lights) can diminish the effects of jet lag because they moderate the levels of melatonin. They have become practical, coming in a small plastic case, incorporated into sunglasses or sun visors. For the LED Lights to work, you only need to place them near you while you are working or eating. They are not harmful and they can help you to shift your body clock up to three time zones in a single session, according to manufacturers. They usually come with detailed instructions on how to use them, whether you are travelling east or west. Travelers are advised to start the sessions three days before departure and continue for three days after arrival. They definitely bring high technology and fun to the jet lag debate. Even Boeing has jumped on the band wagon with its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first plane providing new technologies to reduce jet lag. It is equipped with LED lighting that can fade slowly to help passengers to set their sleep cycles, mimicking sunset and sunrise.
Unfortunately jet lag varies greatly from one individual to the next and it remains complicated to test the efficacy of any single remedy. Taking the toll of jet lag for however long it takes is one option, trying these remedies is the alternative but there is no guarantee. Knowing what goes on in our body may help us do a few calculations to try and adjust to a new environment in the shortest time possible.
