What should you know about travelling west jet lag?

Traveling west can shift sleep later, so jet lag care uses timed light, regular routines, and gradual adjustment. Keep local daytime activity gentle, seek outdoor light later in the day, and move bedtime and wake time toward the destination schedule. Do not drive or make safety-critical decisions when very sleepy.

Jet lag happens when the body clock is out of step with local time after crossing time zones. Westward travel generally asks the body to stay awake later than its usual schedule. Difficulty Sleeping, daytime sleepiness, poor concentration and Headache may follow. The pattern should improve as the internal clock adjusts; persistent sleep trouble may overlap with Insomnia.

Use the destination time for meals, activity and sleep soon after arrival. Get daylight later in the local day, keep evening light subdued, and avoid long daytime naps that make a later bedtime harder. Drink water, keep caffeine earlier in the day, and use a calm wind-down routine. A Travel Health Consultation can help with timing around medicines, work demands and other health conditions.

Seek medical advice if sleep disruption remains severe after you have had time to settle into the new schedule, causes repeated near-misses or unsafe driving, or comes with unusual confusion, fainting, chest symptoms or severe headache. Ask for help sooner if you have a sleep disorder, take sedating medicine, or need to operate machinery soon after arrival.

Ask when to seek light exposure, whether melatonin or another product is suitable with your medicines, and how to protect sleep during the return journey. Explain your usual sleep pattern, destination time, planned activities and any history of Insomnia.