What Causes ‘Jet Lag’ and Why Does It Happen to Some People More Than Others?

Jet lag is when your body gets confused after flying across time zones. Your body likes to follow a daily schedule, like a clock that tells you when to be awake and when to sleep. When you fly from one side of the world to another, your body’s clock gets out of sync with the new place. Some people get more tired than others because their bodies adjust faster or slower.

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Examples

After flying from New York to London, you feel sleepy at noon because your body still thinks it's morning.
You wake up on a plane and feel groggy because your brain didn’t get enough sleep during the night.
Your friend feels no jet lag after flying because they are used to traveling across time zones.

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Categories: Health · jet lag,circadian rhythm,sleep science