How to conquer jet lag

Light is the key to getting back into the swing of things in a different time zone

If you’re returning to work this week after spending New Year’s Eve in Hawaii, don’t expect much sympathy from your colleagues, or from me. However, some basic neurobiology can help you beat jet lag and ease yourself back into the land of the living.

The best way to re-jig your circadian clock is exposure to light. If humans are deprived of any natural or artificial light cycles - deep in a cave, or in a special lab - our natural sleep cycle is just over 24 hours. This extra half-hour or so means that our body clocks are all drifting westwards, so it’s more difficult to adapt from east to west than in the other direction.

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from Health & wellbeing | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1O2Gbi8
via health