I’ll admit it.
I always thought jet lag was some made up term to account for the post vacation blues. Just a phrase that was thrown around haphazardly without much meaning or merit.
Well, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
I was wrong.
Since returning from Italy I’ve felt “off.”
Tired.
Sluggish.
Every day this week I’ve fallen asleep in the couch at 7:30 PM and have slept straight through the night.
According to Mayo Clinic, jet lag (aka desynchronosis) is
…a temporary sleep disorder that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag is caused when your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythms, which tell your body when to stay awake and when to sleep in the old time zone, are out of sync with cues from the new time zone, such as light exposure and dining times. The more time zones crossed, the more likely you are to experience jet lag.
Jet lag can cause daytime fatigue, an unwell feeling, difficulty staying alert and gastrointestinal problems.
Check, check and check!
I didn’t feel the effects of jet lag while in Italy because time was in my favor. 6PM there is only noon here and I was wide awake, alert and ready to go. My days were so jam packed with activities I really didn’t have time to be tired.
However, returning home my body is now ready for bed at 7PM here which is 1AM there, pretty much the time I was getting to sleep on vacation.
Now it all makes sense.
Jet lag.
Hmpfh.
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Katie
January 25, 2013At least you're sleeping through the night! That will help get you back on track sooner than later. When I first moved back to the US after living in Kenya 2 years it took me a month or so to get back on normal time - I would be exhausted by 6 or 7 in the evening, but even though I forced myself to stay up until 9 or 10 at least I would still wake up at 4:00 or earlier every morning ready and raring to go and I could NOT get back to sleep.
Amilja
January 25, 2013I hate jetlags. They are really hard. I always try to plan an easy week for myself after the trip overseas.
Nancy
January 25, 2013Hope you recover soon enough! The farthest I have ever flown was from San Francisco airport to Puerto Rico 8 hours. I remember feeling a bit tired on the way home. Interesting to see how I will handle the flight to London in September! Try to drink some Green tea, that might help!
Sara, Food Blogger on a Diet / Ms. Adventures in Italy
January 26, 2013Welcome and that experience is worth just as much as a passport stamp - another achievement unlocked! Next time you'll know when you have to power through on the way back :)
NatMcC
January 30, 2013I thought the same thing about jetlag until I started traveling more. Holy jetlag!! Not fun! Once in London the Mr and I were to go to a concert at a club he had been wanting to attend forever!! We had just got in from Barcelona and he wanted to take a little nap. I wasn't tired so I watched tv and I tried to wake him up SEVERAL times and he couldn't shake it. Needless to say the next day he was upset he missed the concert and I was upset I spent so many hours in a hotel instead of seeing things. We joke about it every time we go on a trip.
Jenny
August 6, 2014I am not experiencing jet lag because the time zones I went don't have a huge difference from mine. I'll prepare for the jet lag if I'll be travelling to Europe or US.