Jet Lag

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Jet Lag key facts

Daniel Cheung NowPatientGreen tick
Created on 5 Jun 2024
Updated on 16 Jul 2024

Jet lag is a common problem people get when travelling across time zones. This is a temporary problem, but can still cause tiredness, insomnia, changes in body temperature, mental health issues and stomach upset. Here, we will take a closer look at the causes, symptoms, and ways to manage and prevent Jet lag.

What is Jet Lag?

Jet lag (jet lag disorder), is a short term sleep disorder that occurs when your internal circadian clock is out of tune with local time. Circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock. It regulates your sleep-wake cycles and metabolism and is affected by daylight and darkness, which help to maintain your sleep schedule.

When you travel across a number of time zones, your internal clock struggles to adapt to the new time zone, causing a disruption in your sleep patterns. Frequent flyers, such as pilots, flight attendants, and business travellers generally suffer from Jet lag the most.

Causes of Jet Lag

Jet lag occurs when your body clock is out of sync with the local time. This is caused by:

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms

These rhythms are regulated by your sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to light plays a large part in aligning your internal clock. Exposure to light changes when you travel across time zones, causing your circadian rhythms to be out of line with local time.

Length and direction of travel

Travelling East tends to cause more intense symptoms of jet lag compared to travelling West. Also, the more time zones you travel across, the greater your circadian rhythms is disturbed and the greater your symptoms of jet lag.

Individual factors

The elderly may find it more difficult to adjust to a new time zone than younger people. Sleep patterns, general health, and the ability to adapt to change will also impact how you are affected by jet lag.

Symptoms of Jet Lag

Jet lag may affect both your physical and mental health. Symptoms tend to appear within 1 or 2 days after traveling. Common symptoms include:

Sleep problems

You may have difficulty falling asleep or wake too early. You may have broken sleep, and poor sleep quality, leaving you feeling unrested.

Daytime tiredness

Jet lag may cause daytime sleepiness and feelings of tiredness, making it difficult to stay alert during the day.

Digestive issues

These may include diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, stomach discomfort, and changes in appetite.

Mood disturbances

Jet lag may cause irritability, mood swings and anxiety. Mood changes are often due to a disruption of your sleep patterns

Physical and cognitive impairment

You may find it more difficult to concentrate, remember information, or make decisions. Your coordination and reaction time, may also be affected by jet lag.

How is Jet Lag different to travel fatigue?

Feeling tired after you’ve had a long days travel can be confused with Jet lag. Travel fatigue, however includes symptoms such as tiredness and headaches, that may occur due to the physical stress of travel.

As a result of air travel you may experience respiratory problems, dehydration, bloating, swelling in your lower-limbs and general fatigue, causing you to feel very tired after a long flight. This is not the same as Jet lag, as travel fatigue does not affect your circadian rhythm. Travel fatigue will also go away after a good night’s rest, while Jet lag can continue for days or even weeks. It is possible for you to have both travel fatigue and Jet lag after a long flight, but Jet lag is more likely to have longer lasting symptoms.

Managing and preventing Jet Lag

Several strategies can help reduce the effects of jet lag. By following these recommendations, you can reduce discomfort and improve your overall well-being during and after long-distance travel.

Plan ahead

Adjust your sleep schedule before you travel to match the time zone you are travelling to. This adjustment may help you adapt to the new time zone more smoothly.

Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight to prevent dehydration. Good hydration will support your general well-being and reduce some of the discomfort caused by jet lag.

Time your light exposure

Exposure to light is important to help regulate your circadian rhythms. If traveling East, expose yourself to bright light in the morning, to help you adjust your internal clock. If traveling West, expose yourself to bright light in the evening. Also, time outdoors and exposure to natural light will help you to adjust to the local time.

Optimize sleep environment

Create an environment, friendly to sleep to promote good sleep. Eye masks, earplugs, and white noise machines to block out any potential disturbances. Maintain a cool and comfortable temperature in your sleeping area, and ensure that the room is dark and quiet. Bringing familiar items, such as a favorite pillow or blanket, can also help create a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol

While a cup of coffee or tea can help you stay alert during the day, it’s important to moderate your caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine can interfere with sleep and exacerbate the symptoms of jet lag. Similarly, avoid alcohol, as it can disrupt your sleep patterns and dehydrate your body.

Incorporate strategic napping

Short naps can help combat fatigue and increase alertness during the day. Limit your naps to no more than 20-30 minutes and avoid napping too close to bedtime, as it may interfere with nighttime sleep. Strategic napping can provide a quick energy boost without disrupting your sleep-wake cycle.

Consider Melatonin supplements

Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body to help make you feel sleepy and manage your circadian rhythm. It is normally produced in the evening, several hours before bedtime, and is released at night. Your natural cycle of producing Melatonin can be disrupted by Jet Lag.

Melatonin is available only with a prescription in the U.K. but is available as a dietary supplement in some other countries. 1 to 3mg of Melatonin can be used to reset your body clock and help with sleep if taken at the right time. Research shows that Melatonin may help to reduce jet lag. Melatonin, like light, can affect your body clock. The timing of when you take Melatonin is very important. Some people however, are recommended not to take Melatonin. You should check whether it is safe for you to take Melatonin with your doctor. You are advised not to take Melatonin for the first time on your flight, in case you have an adverse reaction.

Alternatives to Melatonin include prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines. Natural sleep aids, will help you fall asleep or stay asleep, but will not change your circadian rhythm. Sleeping pills may cause side effects, such as drowsiness. Speak to your doctor before you travel to discuss the risks and benefits of each medication.

Follow local time

Once you arrive at your destination, adjust your routines to those of the local time. Your body will adjust to the new time zone if you stick to the local times.

Conclusion

Jet lag can affect your sleep patterns when you travel across multiple time zones. Understanding jet lag, its causes and taking the necessary steps, will help reduce it effects, making it easier for you to adjust to a different time zone.

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Medical Disclaimer

NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.

The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.

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What does the Get Treated Privately service do?

The Get Treated Privately service is a private prescribing service which is designed for adults aged 18 years and over, who are experiencing health issues and who would like to receive a fast-track assessment and if applicable, a treatment plan from a qualified prescribing clinician. Treatments are dispensed and delivered to your home or workplace from our regulated online pharmacy.

Is this a safe service?

Yes. Our formulary of medications prescribed and conditions treated are controlled, governed, and continuously risk-assessed by our Medical Director, Dr. Aseel Hamoud. Unlike other prescribing services which operate using faceless questionnaires, our service is conducted through remote video consultations, also known as synchronous consultations. This builds patient safety and prescribing appropriateness into our service, ensuring our prescribing clinicians can be satisfied with who and what they are treating. There is no guarantee of supply of medications, and any prescriptions supplied are at the sole discretion of our clinician prescriber. There is no charge for the consultation.

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Our prescribing clinicians are board-certified pharmacists, nurses, or doctors who can also prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, subject to accepted accreditation and good clinical practice. They are all registered with their respective regulatory bodies. For example, a pharmacist independent prescriber is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Each prescribing clinician undergoes an extensive background check including a disclosure and barring service check (DBS). In addition, they undergo a rigorous license verification process. When you book an appointment with our prescribing clinicians you will see their full name, license number, and any specialized credentials they have.

Is the service available in the United States and the United Kingdom?

No. At the moment, it is only available in the United Kingdom.

Do I need to pay for this service?

Yes. This is a private service. You do not need to pay for the consultation. You only pay for the cost of the medication you are prescribed.

How do I book a consultation?

Once you have logged into your account, you will need to navigate to the Get Treated Privately quick action widget which is located at the bottom of your dashboard. You can then select one of the following actions – ‘Search Treatments’ or ‘Search Conditions’.

Depending on the search type, you will be taken to a consultation booking screen. You will then need to select a date and time that is convenient for you, along with the preferred language of the prescribing clinician you wish to choose. You will then see a list of all available clinicians. From this list, you can filter clinicians by gender and then select the clinician you would like to confirm for your booking.

Once you have approved this, you will see a summary of the appointment including preliminary information about the consultation. At this point, you will also be able to add a reminder to your calendar. Always ensure your account health profile is up to date before any consultation. This ensures that our clinicians have the most up-to-date information about your current health status and anything that may influence their prescribing decisions. You will receive a push notification and email reminding you of your consultation, 30 minutes before it is due to start.

You can ‘star’ the Get Treated Privately quick action widget to have it display in the ‘My Favourite Widgets’ section of your dashboard, for ease of future booking or checking active or past orders.

What happens during the remote video consultation?

During the consultation, the clinician will ask you a series of questions that will allow the clinician to diagnose your health condition and consider possible treatment options. At the end of the consultation, the clinician will decide if a treatment plan is a safe and appropriate option for you.

If it is, the clinician will discuss the various treatment options that may be available, so that you can jointly agree on the option that is most suited to you. Once you have jointly agreed on a treatment plan, the clinician will issue a prescription order which will be available in your ‘shopping cart’ at the end of the consultation.

Also, with your consent, the clinician may wish to inform your GP of the treatment that was prescribed. We recommend that you agree to this since your GP is responsible for your overall care and they should have a record of this consultation and medication prescribed. In addition, our clinician may take the opportunity to advise you on your overall health including advice on healthy living or stop smoking.

What happens at the end of the consultation?

At the end of the consultation, you will receive a notification which will summarise the outcome. It will also advise if any referrals were made to your GP, along with any other advice that was given to you by the clinician.

If a GP referral letter was issued, you will be able to view a copy of this in the ‘My Documents’ section of your dashboard.

If you were prescribed a treatment plan, it will now be available in your shopping cart. When you go to your shopping cart, you will be able to checkout and make payment. Once the checkout is complete, your prescription order will be sent to our regulated online pharmacy for processing.

What if the prescriber does not prescribe what I want?

We operate a safe and effective service. This means that our prescribing clinicians always exercise their clinical judgment when prescribing. Unfortunately, we do not operate a service where you can demand a certain medication. If you are not prescribed anything, then you will not be charged.

Will I get status updates for my order?

Yes. When you place an order with NowPatient, we will keep you fully updated with the status of your order. Every time the status of your order changes, you will be notified immediately. These notifications will appear in your ‘My Notifications’ section on your dashboard. You can click the notification and it will take you to your active orders screen which will give you a timeline overview of the progress of your order. This can also be accessed using the ‘My Orders’ quick action widget which is on your dashboard. Here, you can access active and past orders.

How will my order be delivered?

All orders are shipped in discreet and unmarked packaging. This means it is suitable for delivery wherever you require (home, work, or a neighbour). For thermo-sensitive orders (e.g. Insulin or weight loss injections) we use cold chain-validated packaging. Your parcel will normally receive an estimated delivery window from the courier on the day of delivery.

For your protection and safety, your first order can only be delivered to the address that is registered with NowPatient. Future orders can be delivered to any other address, for example, your workplace.

Do you ship cold-chain or temperature sensitive products?

Yes. We use a specialist courier service for all thermo-sensitive deliveries. This is to ensure that cold chain integrity is always maintained and thus the product quality, safety and efficacy.

Learn more about how we handle the delivery of temperature sensitive products.

Where do you deliver?

We currently deliver to all UK postcodes. Some postcodes in rural areas may have a slightly longer delivery time.

When will my order arrive?

We aim to ship all orders placed Monday – Friday before 3pm on the same day. Orders placed outside these times will be shipped the next working day. All deliveries are shipped with Royal Mail, DPD, or DHL who deliver Monday – Saturday.
Our delivery options have the following delivery times:
  • Royal Mail Standard Tracked & Signed for Delivery for NHS prescriptions – 2/3 day delivery (normally 48 hours)
  • DHL Express Tracked Delivery – 1/2 day delivery (normally 24 hours)
  • Royal Mail Special Delivery – Next working day (Royal Mail Guaranteed before 1pm)

What should I do if my order has not arrived?

Delivery is normally made promptly after your dispatch notification is received. You can check the tracking details of your order in the ‘My Notifications’ section of your dashboard, at any point after dispatch.

Unfortunately, packages can sometimes get lost in the delivery system, if after 10 days you have not received your delivery, please contact us and we will do all we can to resolve the problem.

Can you prescribe GLP-1 weight loss injections?

Yes. However, with GLP-1 weight loss medications, the license requires that there are support resources put in place as part of the plan including coaching for a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and diet. Our clinicians will discuss this with you, if you are prescribed this type of treatment.

You can learn more on our Weight Loss Programs feature page.

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NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.

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Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?

NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.

Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).

Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.

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From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.

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Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:

• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
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• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old

NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla.

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Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.

You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

We do not provide any prescribing services or dispensing services in the United States.

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