Why is jet lag worse flying east

John Walton. Jet lag can also be affected by where and when you plan any connections in your journey. Share this story:. Places from this story Hong Kong China City. Europe Continent. Japan Asia Country.

View more. Activities Melbourne or Sydney: which city is the best to start your Australian adventure? Skip to main content. Travel and holidays. Home Travel and holidays. Jet lag. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of jet lag Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag Strategiesto reduce the impact of jet lag Adjusting to the new time zone Sleep and your new time zone Alcohol, medications and jet lag Where to get help Things to remember.

Jet lag is a combination of fatigue and other symptoms caused by travelling abruptly across different time zones. The body is synchronised to night and day by the action of sunlight through brain chemicals or neurotransmitters, especially melatonin.

These include temperature, hormones, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure and brain states. Travelling to a different time zone disrupts the circadian rhythm. Lack of sleep before and during travelling can also contribute to jet lag. There is no cure for jet lag, but its effects can be reduced with careful planning.

Symptoms of jet lag The symptoms of jet lag include: Fatigue Sleepiness Digestive upsets Impaired judgement and decision making Memory lapses Irritability Apathy.

Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag Your circadian rhythm body clock is less confused if you travel westward. Travelling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock. If you suffer badly from jet lag, it may be worthwhile considering a westerly travel route if possible.

Strategiesto reduce the impact of jet lag There is no evidence that popular strategies, such as fasting or eating complicated diets, have any effect.

Suggestions to reduce the impact of jet lag while travelling include: Make sure you have had enough sleep before you leave. If you are flying westward, try to go to sleep as late as possible for two to three days before you leave. This will make it easier to adapt to the new location. For example, if you are flying from Melbourne to London, try to go to sleep at 1—2am for the two to three days before flying out from Melbourne.

Girvan and her co-authors chose to study the individual pacemaker cells, or neuronal oscillators stay with me , that dictate our natural circadian rhythms. They found that if a person's internal clock has an additional 30 minutes, it could translate to days of jet lag when rapidly crossing time zones. Instead, it phase delays.

As a general rule of thumb, the team discovered that eastward travel across three time zones takes a little more than four days for complete recovery. A trip westward across the same number of time zones requires a bit less than three days.

For travel eastward across nine time zones, complete recovery takes almost two full weeks.