Jet-lagged? Should You Sweat It Out Or Snooze It Off?

Jet lag is the ultimate travel buzzkill. Youve just landed in a dreamy new destination, ready to soak in the sights, but your body has other ideas. Youre wide awake at 3am or falling asleep at dinner. Sound familiar? Youre not alone.

Experts define jet lag as the desynchronisation between the internal human circadian system and the time at the new destination. In simpler terms, your bodys internal clock is out of sync with the local time. This can mess with your sleep, energy, and even mood.

What causes jet lag? Think of your body as having its own master clock, located in your brains hypothalamus. This clock regulates your circadian rhythms, those 24-hour cycles that control your hormones, metabolism, and sleep-wake cycle.

Now, imagine flying across time zones. Your internal clock stays synced to your home time zone, but the external clock at your destination tells a different story. This mismatch between your body and the world around you is the root of jet lag.

The severity of jet lag depends on how many time zones you cross. A three-hour shift can throw off your rhythms, but a 10-hour change? Thats a full-on battle.