If you wish to earn a lot of money,you will not be able to avoid frequent air travel due to the globalisation of trade and commerce.More and more people are now undertaking journeys by air for business and pleasure.It is therefore,important to examine its implications for health.
We have a biological clock,one of the many,in our bodies which regulates our sleep.That is why we feel sleepy around the same time every day.Sometimes this clock is disturbed and disrupts this 24-hour cycle.Environmental factors are usually responsible,and an important version of this disruption occurs in international travellers going long distances due to rapid changes of time zones from country to country.Our biological clock is normally synchronised with the day-night cycle of the home country.
While a gradual change in the environment does produce a gradual change in the timings of the internal clock,a sudden change can bring about a disturbance.Such a change occurs on long-distance high-speed flights.While flights crossing more than three time zones can confuse this clock,real problems arise after air journey with 8 to 12 hours time difference such as would occur when you fly from New Delhi to New York.
You feel fatigued,both physically and mentally.You may be confused and depressed.You may want to sleep when everyone else is starting the day.This is called "jet lag".Initial adjustment is,therefore,necessary before you can attend to your business satisfactorily.Any method for reducing jet lag symptoms involves resetting your biological clock with the watch on your wrist.A simple method is described below.