Jet Lag: Advice for the Business Traveler

Cause, Origin, Symptoms and Methods for Prevention and Treatment

Traveling for business can be a highly stressful event for many active professionals. When traveling over one time zone or half way across the world, adjusting to the time change difference, for some, can take several days. Known as Jet Lag, these active business professionals struggle to remain professional and productive while attempting to recover from Jet Lag symptoms. Understanding the Jet Lag symptoms, the cause and origin of Jet Lag and methods for speeding recovery from, and preventing, Jet Lag, will provide for a more pleasant business travel experience.

Jet Lag is simply a term used to describe a variety of symptoms often associated with a business traveler's inability to adjust the internal body clock to the time zone of the travel destination. Considered a sleep disorder, and created from the time zone change, when traveling east to west, or west to east, Jet Lag often develops immediately upon arrival to the business traveler's destination.

When traveling, there are a variety of activities which can be considered to relieve Jet Lag symptoms and, in some cases, to prevent the onset of symptoms from occurring. One such prevention involves the slow adjustment of sleep times during the four to five days prior to travel. Depending on the time zone change, business travelers may need to adjust sleep time, in increments of 30 minutes, ultimately reaching a sleep time to coincide with that of the travel destination.

In addition to sleep adjustments, the professional business traveler, to reduce the effects of Jet Lag, should also consider improving dietary intake in the 72 hours prior to departure. Eating foods high in fiber, protein and iron will provide for an improvement in cognitive function, especially when the Jet Lag results in a feeling of fogginess.

Because dehydration is a significant side effect of Jet Lag, the business traveler should also consider increasing the intake of water. In doing so, the body will remain dehydrated while improving other Jet Lag symptoms such as nausea and insomnia.