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When we travel quickly across time zones, the body's natural clock needs to be reset. This is what causes jet lag, a common disorder once thought to be imaginary, but we now know has a biological basis. Many functions of the body are controlled by time, everything from sleep to the body's temperature, to what chemicals your body produces, such as melatonin.
Jet lag is a temporary condition that occurs when you change time zones rapidely. Changing time zones rapidly causes the person's internal clock to be out of sync with the external environment. Jet lag is also called desynchronosis. It can last for a few days or a few weeks.
Jet lag (also known as desynchronosis) is a common sleep disorder and, most importantly, it is a symptom, or set of symptoms, and not a disease. When we talk about a jet lag remedy or a jet lag cure therefore we are not talking about overcoming jet lag directly, but are looking at treating the underlying cause or causes.
Living organisms are accustomed to periods of night and day alternating at set intervals. Most of the human body's regulating hormones follow this cycle, known as circadian rhythm. The word circadian comes from the Latin, circa, meaning about, and dies, meaning day. These cycles are not exactly 24 hours long, hence the "circa."
Jet lag causes a combination of symptoms, including daytime sleepiness, disorientation, poor concentration, fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent waking from sleep. The symptoms can last from a day to a week or longer, depending on the person and the number of time zones crossed.
There are simple ways before and during a trip to help regulate this imbalance: getting a good nights sleep before the day of departure; exercising for several days before the flight; walking and stretching during the flight; and drinking plenty of fluids. And as exciting and well planned a trip can be, travel can be stressful. Reducing stress is very important too, because it triggers biological stress coping mechanisms that ultimately upsets the circadian rhythm. Acupuncture can help after the flight to reset our internal clock.
Cause of Jetlag
Chronic insomnia (>4 weeks)
Difficulty falling asleep: May be due to poor sleep hygiene, conditioned insomnia (initial acute insomnia progresses to chronic due to maladaptive distorted sleep cognitions), medications (e.g., sedatives, decongestants, oral contraceptive use, antidepressants, bronchodilators), drugs (including over-the-counter and herbal preparations, alcohol, nicotine, illicit drugs), and caffeine (e.g., coffee, soda, medications)
Acupuncture is a major component of the Traditional Asian Medical System. In this system, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: Yin and Yang. Health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state". A major cause of imbalance is stress. It leads to blockage in the flow of QI (pronounced chee) or vital energy, along pathways known as meridians.
Diet. Although jet lag diets are available, there is no real evidence to support their usefulness and it is probable that any benefit gained is imagined rather than real. In the case of one particular jet lag diet, 'The Argonne Diet', evidence has been produced to support the claims made for the diet, however, the test group used for the study (a group of US National Guard soldiers) is hardly representative of the general traveling population.
Author Resource:- Read about Stretching Exercises. Also read about Weight Loss Tips and Vitamin Supplements
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