Jet Lag

I travelled a lot and will have many trips in the future to come. My trip to Calcutta, India from Chicago, US was a wake up call for me to start thinking of the remedy of jet lag I have experienced.

Here at the IGI Airport New Delhi
I was really tired and took a nap

I have decided to dig deep and find these for you and me so that we are well equipped to fight this common airtravel malady.
Jet lag is a set of symptoms we encounter during and after our flight from one time zone to another. These are insomnia, constipation, fatigue, diarrhea, headache, anxiety, dehydration, irritability and nausea as the most common travellers experience.
Many scientists are certain that jet lag occur because the body is incapable of adapting to its new environment and schedule. For example, leaving Springfield, Missouri USA to Calcutta, India which is 11h 30 min time difference has set my  biological clock to disruption. This body which is used to go to bed every 11pm in Springfield (10:30 am in Calcutta) was now forced to be eating breakfast at this time. Or going to work at 7:00 am (Springfield, USA) or (6:30 pm Calcutta, India) was forced to eat dinnner at this time in Calcutta. This shows how the traveller's body is going under tremendous and radical changes for it to adapt to the new country, culture, climate, etc.

Venice, Italy on a winter period where I felt
cold.

According to scientists, it is a known fact that people, the lesser time zones they fly accross, the greater the adapatation to the new environment of the body. Travelling from North to South accross the globe or South-North is comfortable for the body to adapt quickly.For example, France (North) and Cameroon (South) are separated by one time zone or an hour difference, thus it easy for either national to adapt once in the country of destination. But travelling from West to East is putting the body into a radical change that it will needs more days or weeks to adapt to the environment thus the severe the jet lag will be. USA (West) is at least 11 hours separated from India (East) so it will take a lot efforts for either national to adapt once in the country of destiantion.

having good foods in a Venice's restaurant

Tips to cope with jet lag before, during and after the trip are to eat well, drink plenty of water, make sure to be physically fit, exercise while in the airplane every two hours so to prevent blood clot that, in turn can cause a heart attack or chest pain which can lead to death. Also it is recommended to meet your doctors before and after your trip abroad for medical advice. Another tip is to avoid ALCOHOL and CAFFEINE a day before, during and a day after your flight since these are contraindicated for a healthy body and can exhacerbate insomnia, cause dehydration and loss of concentration. Also, one can break his/her trip when it is too long. For example flying New York, NY. US to Bombay, India is a 15 h 37 min trip; instead of flying directly, one can choose an itinerary with a stop in Munich Germany or any European country for a day or hours since there are four time zones between Europe and India. This will reduce tremendously the impact of jet lag while the body will have time to rest and prepare to adjust in other changing environment.

A beautiful Italian

Other scientists recommend to change a schedule or to prepare the body to an upcoming schedule. My next trip is to Cameroon, Africa from Springfield, MO. US where I will spend a month. I need to prepare my body adjust to Cameroonian environment by scaling back my activity of daily living at least for an hour, this four weeks prior of my leaving. I will have to scale back one more hour for the first week, and two more the second, etc. This will prepare my body to adjust to the new time zone, which is between Cameroon and Missouri US 7 hours.

Having fun in one Jamaican's beaches

Another tip is to adapt to a local schedule. To put it simply, if a traveller from Hong Kong arrives in Kingston, Jamaica at 10 pm (noon  in Hong Kong), he has to go to bed instead of having lunch.
A traveller has also to wear shoes and clothes that are lose and light. This will ease the trip and also prepare your clothes according to the destination's climate. It is obvious that one going from Morrocco to Alaska, US will prepare the winter clothes to wear once in Alaska.

Niagara Falls That I visited

Another tip is to have a good accomodations that are conducive to a good sanitation and hygiene. If a traveller is accustomed to a hotel facilities in his journeys abroad, s/he has to keep this habit of living in hotel facility where a good sanitary conditions is a standard.

Having a breakfast in Munich
Germany

Eventhough some doctors prescribed sleeping pills to help one fight insomnia, it is recommended to take these pills upon Doctor's prescription. A traveller should not drive nor drink alcohol while under this medication. Another well known pills to fight insomnia is Melatonin supplement which is an OTC (Over The Counter) supplement. Doctors recommend that a traveller to enhance sleep should take between 0.3 mg to 5 mg of pill on the day a traveller arrives at destination, take this 30 minutes before going to bed. The traveller should continue taking this for a few days while at his/her destination.
Meeting all this prescription will surely help us figth this disease called jet lag. After coming back to India, I had insomnia and fatigue and a friend of mine who is Doctor talk to me about Melatonin. I then bougth it on a store like WalMart and, the first day, I started to take MELATONIN 30 minutes before going to bed. I can tell you that since that time, I have a deep sleep and can dream about my next trip to Cameroon.