Understanding jet lag and how to manage it

Understanding jet lag and managing it involves aligning your circadian rhythm with the time zone of your destination. Here are some insights from Andrew Huberman on managing jet lag:

Understanding Jet Lag

Jet lag results from a mismatch between your internal clock and the local time at your destination, often causing sleep disturbances, fatigue, and impaired functioning. This disruption in your circadian rhythm is compounded for factors such as age and lifestyle habits like irregular light exposure or exercise routines 1.

Strategies for Managing Jet Lag

1. Light Exposure

   • Use natural and artificial light strategically to adjust your circadian clock. Light exposure after your temperature minimum helps advance your internal clock, enabling you to wake earlier on subsequent days. Conversely, exposure before this point can delay your sleep-wake cycle 2.

2. Exercise and Meals

   • Engage in physical activity and align meal times with your destination's schedule. Exercise can aid in adjusting your internal clock, particularly if done progressively over a few days before travel 2.

3. Travel Direction

   • Traveling westward is generally easier on your biological clock than traveling east. This is because you're naturally better at staying awake longer than going to sleep earlier. Hence, it requires less adjustment to stay up late than to sleep earlier 3.
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       1

       Understanding Jet Lag

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       2

       Shift Your Circadian Clock

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       3

       Jet Lag Insights

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       4

       Understanding Temperature Minimum

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       5

       Circadian Clock Insights

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4. Understanding Temperature Minimum

   • Identify your typical wake-up time and calculate your temperature minimum (approximately two hours before waking). Adjust light exposure and activities around this period to shift your internal clock effectively for any travel 4 5.

These insights highlight the importance of understanding your body's internal mechanisms to better manage your circadian rhythms and minimize jet lag effects 1.