What should you know about chronic jet lag?

Your internal clock helps time sleep, alertness, digestion and hormone signals. Crossing time zones or repeatedly changing sleep times can leave those rhythms misaligned with daylight, meals and work. Symptoms may include difficulty sleeping at the expected local bedtime, waking too early, tiredness during the day, irritability and headache. Recovery can be slower when travel is frequent, the time difference is large, or routines change again before the body clock settles. Persistent sleep difficulty can overlap with insomnia, but the travel pattern is a useful clue.

Keep a regular wake time at your destination and seek natural daylight during the part of the day that matches your intended schedule. Dim bright light before bedtime, use meals and activity to reinforce local time, and avoid long daytime naps that make night sleep harder. Allow quiet time for rest and take medicines or sleep aids only after discussing their suitability with a clinician. A travel-health consultation can help plan light exposure, sleep timing and medication around future journeys.

Arrange medical advice if sleep disruption continues after travel, repeatedly affects work or driving, or comes with severe mood change, fainting, chest pain or breathing difficulty. Seek urgent help for sudden confusion, weakness on one side, or a severe unusual headache. Daytime sleepiness that makes you nod off while driving requires stopping driving and prompt assessment.

Ask whether your pattern fits jet lag or another sleep condition, which light and sleep schedule suits your travel direction, and whether any current medicines, caffeine or alcohol may be prolonging symptoms.