A report from the World Health Organization directly relays jet-lag to health problems like diarrhea that can be caused by microbes in water or food. In more extreme cases, it can also cause death by deep vein thrombosis or clots in the lungs.

Jet-lag is not the only cause, but by adding fatigue due to travel, a change in your diet or the climate, your immune system could be affected. Body temperature, the functioning of digestion or hormonal cycles all have an impact on our body.

In general, it takes a day to get used to every hour of lag, and it is the east-west travel that has a greater impact on our system. Also, is your travel in the same time frame you should not be impacted.

Are we affected?

If you only have 3 hours of lag, there is a chance that you will not notice the difference. Hooray!

For longer trips, it mainly manifests itself in sleep disorders:

• Sleeping in the middle of the day.
• Unexplained awakening at 2 AM or difficulty falling asleep.
• Feeling physical and intellectual fatigue.
• Lack of concentration and motivation.
• Confusion and vertigo.
• Headache.
• Poor digestion, etc.

Tips to survive it easier

• If the duration of your trip does not exceed three days, keep your daily routine without changing anything. Beyond that, start living according to the schedule of your destination as soon as you enter the plane by adjusting your watch.
• Eat light during the day of your trip.
• Drink a lot to fight dehydration; better than coffee, tea, and juice. Avoid alcohol as much as possible!
• Enjoy the trip, rest, and sleep as much as you can. Check out my best tips to sleep on an airplane if you have difficulty sleeping.
• Avoid the use of sleeping pills, you need to let your body adapt himself to the new schedule. Bend your eyes, use earplugs, a neck rest or a pillow to help you sleep. For other tips, check out my previous articles.
• To reduce discomfort, especially swelling of the legs and feet, and the risk of blood clots and associated trauma, get off the plane at stopovers and do some exercise or take a walk. If it is impossible, try to move: go up and down the aisle, get up from your seat and do small twists and stretches.
• Once there, do not go to sleep or rest. The nap is the best way to wake up at 2 AM in great shape. Resist against the fatigue and try to adapt to the new time zone.
• If the jet-lag affects you considerably and you want to be on track rapidly, you can prepare yourself in advance. To succeed, adjust your bedtime by a ½ hour per day before the big day. If you go east, you will advance it and for a trip to the west, you will go back in time.

I wish you a good trip!