Light Therapy

Minimize Jet Lag

Modern transport defies imagination. We live in a time where we travel around the world at the drop of a hat. The vehicles that convey us move faster and faster. But our bodies often have a hard time keeping up.

What Causes Jet Lag?

Jet lag occurs when we cross multiple time zones. Part of jet lag is caused by travel fatigue and disturbed sleep patterns, but there’s also a physical cause for jet lag’s symptoms of tiredness, the jitters, and general discomfort. Our body’s internal rhythms become out of synch with the rhythms of the natural environment we find ourselves in. When we travel halfway around the world, our body thinks it is time to wakeup, when it’s actually nighttime outside. This disconnect with the environmental circadian rhythm creates disturbances in sleep cycles, appetite, attention, and energy levels.

J. Waterhouse, et al from Liverpool John Moores University have recently published their findings on jet lag trends and coping strategies, noting the degree of decreased performance due to sleep loss and disorientation. They cite numerous preventions, including light therapy and doses of the hormone melatonin. However, the best treatment is light therapy, administered at the right time of day, which helps the body adjust to a new time zone in as little as a couple of days. It not only feels much better, it prevents a loss of productivity and performance.

Eastward & Westward Travel

  • Traveling east is more difficult on the body, particularly a time-zone shift of 6-8 hours. This is probably because the biological clock usually runs slowly and to adjust to an Eastward shift means that it needs to speed up. Light can help speed up the clock.
  • When we travel west, we go backward in time – and as the clock tends to run slowly for most people, going back and slowing down is easier. Often people experience little jet lag going this direction. Though they may not feel it, there may be some performance impairment.

Using Light Therapy to Alleviate Jet Lag

Researchers have shown that bright light, administered in the evening, will induce a phase delay and bright light in the morning will induce a phase advance. Intelligent travelers can start using this scientific knowledge to adjust their body clocks and experience as low an impact as possible on their systems.

Researchers have also discovered that the effectiveness of light therapy is also dependent on the body temperature at the time of the session. When your body temperature is lowest, exposure to high intensity light is most effective.

The benefit of light therapy, for frequent travelers, is significant. This non-pharmacological treatment, now available in easily portable lamps, can be of great use to business travelers, sports competitors, and others who need to be at peak performance regardless of time zone differences.

General Advice for Light Therapy Treatment of Jet Lag

Are you traveling soon? Ready to try light therapy to keep you at maximum alertness, comfort, and productivity? Follow these basic instructions, depending on which direction you are traveling.

Going East?

  • If you are traveling in an eastward direction, try two 30 minute sessions of light therapy first thing in the morning, on two consecutive days.

Going West?

  • If you are traveling in a westward direction, try two 30 minute sessions of light therapy in the evening, on two consecutive days.
More specific information can be obtained using the Jet Lag Advisor here.