Jet Lag Recovery Longer for Travelers Flying East, Scientists Claim
Scientists Claim that Jet Lag Is Worse for Travelers Flying East
University of Maryland scientists explain that jet lags from flying east take a harder toll on our natural brain cell cycle.
Seasoned flyers may begin to see a pattern where some flights have jet lags that take longer than others. University of Maryland scientists claim that flying east may take more than just the recommended one day of rest to recover.
What Is a Jet Lag?
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Jet lag is the experience of desynchronization due to traveling to different time zones, Medical News Today reported. Traveling can disrupt our body's natural circadian rhythm, and it can cause symptoms including headache, lethargy, appetite loss, insomnia, irritability and confusion.
Mathemetical Model Reveals Jet Lags from Flying East Is Worse than From Flying West
Scientists say that travelers suffer more and may need more time to recover from jet lag if they fly east through several timezones than flying from the other direction. Science Alert reported that it has something to do with our brain cells.
These cells are called "neuronal oscillator cells," and they are the ones responsible for modulating the body's circadian rhythm. They also look at external cues to sync the body up according to its biological clock especially after flying.
When these brain cells do not get their share of external cues, they may take around 24.5 hours to adjust. The longer cycle may affect those who shorten their day by flying east than those who fly by west. The details of the study are published in the journal Chaos.
Jet Lag Mathemetical Model
To prove this theory and to find out how long a person can fully recover from a jet lag by flying east, the scientists used a mathematical model to calculate it. They found that recovering may take longer based on the number of time zones crossed and the direction of traveling.
This means that longer eastward travels across five timezones will mean that the brain clock will set 19 hours backward instead of five hours forward. So according to the model, a person will need around more than four days to recover from a flight traveling east across three time zones but only three days from the opposite direction, Live Science noted. For six time zones, recovery will be at least eight days, and nine time zones will need more than 12 days of recovery period. However, people's circadian rhythms are different, and experiences may vary.
Scientists said that they will need to conduct further research with regard to their mathemetical model. CNN wrote that the model the scientists used is simplified and will need more parameters and biological data to make it more realistic.
