Clinical features:
(1) insomnia, difficulty sleeping, or irregular sleep
(2) sleepiness during the day and fatigue
(3) general malaise
(4) anorexia
(5) difficulty concentrating and poor performance
The symptoms may last for several days, up to 1 day for each time zone crossed.
A person who flies east tends to be unable to fall asleep at bedtime and may sleep late the next morning. The loss of several hours may contribute to temporal disorientation.
A person who flies west tends to have problems with early waking.
A person who flies north or south in the same time zone should not experience disruption of the circadian cycle, but may have symptoms from sleep deprivation, dehydration and/or travel-related stress.
Jet lag can be prevented or minimized by a number of interventions that may work for some travelers but not for others.
(1) Drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
(2) Avoiding excessive alcohol.
(3) Use of a hypnotic agent such as zolpidem or melatonin (but not together) to aid sleep induction.
(4) Exercise.
(5) Exposure to natural light (phototherapy).
(6) Taking a nap at appropriate times.
(7) Adjusting sleep-wake times for several days prior to departure to match times at the final destination.
(8) Change in diet (high protein breakfast, high carbohydrate dinner).
