What Causes ‘Jet Lag’ and How Does It Work?

Jet lag is when your body’s clock gets confused. Imagine your body has a little clock that tells you when to sleep and when to wake up. When you fly across time zones, your body's clock doesn’t match the new day and night times, making you feel tired or sleepy at odd hours. It feels like your brain is saying, 'Wait, is it morning or night now?'

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Examples

You’re on a plane for hours and when you arrive at the airport, it’s night, but your body still thinks it's morning.
You're tired when it's supposed to be daytime because your brain is confused by the time change.
After flying west, you want to stay up late even though the sun has already set.

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Categories: Health · jet lag,circadian rhythm,travel health