Your plane just landed, and you are eagerly anticipating your vacation. Unfortunately, you feel extremely tired and you're having stomach problems. These are the classic symptoms of jet lag, a common temporary illness of travelers who cross time zones around the globe.

What Causes Jet Lag?

Your internal body clock or circadian rhythm regulates your sleeping and waking cycle. Jet lag may occur if your internal body clock gets disrupted, resulting in daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. There are other factors that produce jet lag, aside from disruptions in your internal body clock. Experts have identified the following factors responsible for producing jet lag in plane passengers:

• Disrupted body clock: You will likely experience jet lag if you cross two or more time zones as you fly across the globe. The condition occurs as your body clock gets out of sync with the time of your destination; for example, on a flight from New York to Paris, if you leave New York at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, you will likely get to Paris at about 7:00 AM on Wednesday. Your internal body clock says that it's 1:00 AM, but Paris is already waking up. The result is that most of your bodily functions are out of sync with Paris.
• Sunlight: Sunlight is a big component of your internal body clock. The pineal gland in your brain releases melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, at night. The gland takes its cue from your retina, which receives a regular amount of sunlight in your local timezone. The rhythm of sunlight is broken when you cross time zones, so your body may think it's night when it's day. You can adjust to the new time zone faster by exposing yourself to the sunlight in that place.
• Cabin conditions: Researchers have found out that conditions in the plane cabin, such as pressure and moisture, can also cause jet lag. Cabin pressures at 7,000 to 8,000 feet produce symptoms such as fatigue and muscular discomfort. In addition, plane cabins also circulate dry air that dehydrates passengers. Mild dehydration contributes to malaise, nasal discomfort, headache, and eye problems.

Medications for Jet Lag

Jet lag should go away on its own even without treatment. All your symptoms should disappear after your body adjusts to the new time zone. Your doctor may prescribe drugs such as nonbenzodiazepines and benzodiazepines to help you sleep during your flight. He may suggest taking the medications for several nights to help your body adjust faster. Possible side effects include: sleepiness, confusion, sleepwalking, amnesia, vomiting, and nausea.

Light Therapy: Is Light the Best Medicine?

Light therapy involves the use of a light box to illuminate the patient. Patients purchase a light box and place it in their homes. They are usually required to sit under 10,000 lux, where lux is a measure of light intensity. This amount is stronger than indoor light, which is usually less than 400 lux. It is however, below the intensity of a cloudy day, which is 3,000 lux on average. The extra light intensity provided by the light box hinders the production of melatonin, reducing jet lag symptoms. Light therapy corrects your circadian rhythm, which regulates your mood, sleep patterns, and hormones.

Home Treatments for Jet Lag

Recovery from jet lag is quicker if you combine medications and light therapy with some home remedies. Follow these tips, and start your vacation as quickly as possible.

• Expose yourself to sunlight: One of the best ways to readjust your body clock is to expose yourself to lots of sunlight; for example, if you're traveling from New York to Paris and you have poor sleeping patterns, you should expose yourself to sunlight between 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM on your first day at your destination. On the second day, go out for a walk between 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM to further correct your body clock.
• Exercise to energize: Exercise produces great results for your body. Jogging, walking, and aerobic exercises on a sunny day in your new timezone will help adjust your body clock.
• Drink caffeinated beverages: Drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee, soft drinks, and espresso adjusts your circadian rhythm, so that your sleepiness during the day is reduced. Don't take in too much caffeine though, because you might find it harder to sleep at night.

How to Prevent Jet Lag

Everyone wants to start their vacation as early as possible. Do the following preventive measures if you don't want jet lag to ruin your vacation plans.

• Get plenty of sleep before your flight: According to experts, sleep deprivation makes jet lag more likely to occur. Condition your body, and get plenty of sleep before your flight, so that you're in tip-top shape to cross multiple time zones.
• Gradually adjust your body clock: The best way to prepare your body to the new time zone is to start adjusting your body clock even before your trip. Train yourself to go to bed an hour earlier for several nights before your flight. If you're westbound, go to bed one hour later each night, and eat your meals based on your destination's time zone.
• Keep yourself hydrated: As was mentioned, air that circulates in the plane cabin is usually dry. You can reduce jet lag by keeping yourself hydrated before your flight, and throughout the whole trip. Also, avoid drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, as they contribute to dehydration.
• Stick to the new schedule: Make sure that the time on your wristwatch is adjusted to your destination's time zone. Once you get to your destination, do not sleep during the day even if your body feels really tired.
• Begin adjusting yourself on the plane: If it's daytime at your destination, try not to sleep on the plane during the flight. On the other hand, if it's nighttime at that place, then try to sleep on the plane. You may use eye masks, earplugs, and headphones to block out the light and noise outside.
• Arrive early at your destination: It is difficult to prevent jet lag in some cases, since you can't control all your bodily processes. Arrive early at your destination if you're anticipating jet lag, so your body has more time to adjust before your vacation or business trip starts.

Try not to feel depressed if the symptoms of jet lag make your vacation a bit bleaker. You'll be able to have all the fun you want once your internal body clock adjusts to the new time zone.