As a businessman I travel a lot, and jet lag is often a problem for me. What is the best treatment for this?
Travelling overseas and spending hours in airport lounges and on planes is tiring for most people.
Jet lag happens when you travel over several time zones, which affects the body's normal circadian rhythm. Symptoms can include sleep disturbance, fatigue, poor concentration and gastrointestinal upsets such as heartburn, indigestion or diarrhoea.
A review written by Dr Charles Samuels, a sleep expert at the University of Calgary, in the May 2012 issue of the , provides insight on athletes' jet lag. He focuses on how they recover and how sleep optimises their performance.
We can learn a few lessons from athletes to stay on top of the game. Make sure you are well-rested before the flight to reduce sleep deficit. During the flight, adjust your watch to your destination's schedule so that you sleep and eat meals based on the time at your final stop. When you are trying to sleep, use appropriate sleep aids such as ear plugs and eye masks.
You can consider using medication to control sleeping patterns, such as mild sleeping pills to doze off or caffeine to stay awake. Melatonin supplements also help.
