East-West Jet Lag is Worst

Jet lag affects every traveler differently, but a common trend among those flying east has shown that travel in that direction produces worse jet lag than any other direction. A scientific model has been prepared to demonstrate the effects on time-keeping cells in the body.

In the hypothalamus pacemaker cells synchronize and determine whether it is night or day based on the ambient light in our surroundings. When travelling to a new time zone, this process is disrupted, and grogginess begins to set in. But our bodies are not perfectly aligned with a 24 hour day, on average the cycles of these cells is slightly longer than 24 hours.

“The body’s internal clock has a natural period of slightly longer than 24 hours, which means that it has an easier time traveling west and lengthening the day than traveling east and shortening the day.” -Dr. Givan University of Maryland.

Click here for the full article from the New York Times.