did you know that pilots and flight attendants have problem sleeping after a long flights, this is because of a condition called jet lag, which is a physiological condition that results from alteration from your usual routine bedtime or biological clock caused by long distance flights.

Melatonin is the sleep hormone, which is produce by the brain. So, normally our body signals a gland in the brain to produce it, two hours prior to our usual routine bedtime, as long as there is no bright light. Because bright light suppresses melatonin secretion.

For this reason, crossing time zones is associated with a need to sleep and to be awake at times that are out of alignment with the routine sleeping habits. And the severity of jet lag depends on how many time zones have been crossed and the direction of the travel.

West bound travel like going from Dubai to USA generally causes less disruption. As it is easier to delay your sleep especially if you get exposed to sunlight upon arrival until the new bedtime.
On the other, East bound travel like going from USA to Dubai, the jetlag here is more severe, in this situation you have to sleep earlier than your usual bedtime.

Symptoms of jet lag are insomnia, daytime sleepiness, decrease quality of sleep, fatigue, loss of concentration and irritability.

These are my advice for travelers. Take a short nap during the day. keep well hydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Also, doing outdoor activities in the sunlight will help adjusting your body clock.
Finally, I normally recommend to my patients to use melatonin pills 3-5 mg one hour before bedtime for few days after arrival. This is a better option than taking sleeping medications which can cause habit farming and addiction.

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Video shot and edited by: Fadi Helbaoui

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