Jet lag is a physiological condition arising from rapid transfer to another time zone that leaves your body no time to adapt to the different regimen of normal activities. In example, if you are flying to the west and skip several time zones in a matter of hours, your internal clock will be set on noon while it is morning and you will be lively and fresh while locals are still drowsy - while you will feel like going to bed in the early afternoon. Traveling to the east causes the opposite - perkiness by night and drowsiness by day.
What happens next
Internal body clock adjusts itself slowly. It takes an entire day to compensate for one hour difference. If you are staying for a long time, such as months or years, then never mind a couple days worth of dizziness, disorientation, headaches and insomnia, but short trips such as holiday or business trips will likely make you out-of-sync and feeling miserable most of the time. Fortunately, jet lag symptoms can be soothed by various herbal remedies.
Snapping out of it
General advices for jet lag remedy include eating light meals and avoiding caffeine and alcoholic beverages prior to and during the flight, trying to rewind internal clock in advance by going to bed and waking up earlier or later, depending on what time zone you are traveling to. It is also recommended to get a good night's sleep before the journey and to skip a daily nap upon arrival.
Various herbs that can be used to soothe jet lag have different effects and should be used accordingly.
A Siberian Ginseng tonic stimulates adrenal glands and improves stamina, reducing initial weariness and easing physical symptoms of a baffled internal clock. Saponins, sterols, vitamins and alkaloids contained in oats, which you can consume one night before the trip fight exaustion, while oat tonic promotes sleeep. If you wish to restore sleep patterns or ease off headaches, use passion flower, which is a natural sedative.
Similar effects are achieved by hop flowers, while gentle sedative properties of chamomile make it a great choice for younger or elderly passengers. Valerian tincture is a good remedy for insomnia. Wu Wei Zi or schisandra both strengthens the organism and promotes sleep, making your organism recover faster. St. John's Wort is an age old remedy that was long considered to be a cure-all. Start using it a fortnight before the trip to increase endurance. Euphoric effects it sometimes causes can significantly help people who suffer from anxiety connected with the trip or fear of flying.
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