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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Jet lag

archive - digital photography - Curitiba, Brazil

Jet lag medically referred to as desynchronosis is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to circadian rythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhytms sleep disorders. Jet lag results from rapid long-distance transmeridian (east-west or west east) travel, as on a jet plane.

When traveling across a number of time zones, the body clock will be out of synchronisation with the destination time, as it experiences daylight and darkness contrary to the rhythms to which it has grown accustomed: the body's natural pattern is upset, as the rhythms that dictate times for eating, sleeping, hormone regulation and body temperature variations no longer correspond to the environment nor to each other in some cases. To the degree that the body cannot immediately realign these rhythms, it is jet lagged.

The speed at which the body adjusts to the new schedule depends on the individual; some people may require several days to adjust to a new time zone, while others experience little disruption.