Do I Have Jet Lag Disorder?

Have you traveled by air across at least two time zones?

Did you travel in an easterly direction (from the west to the east)?

Do your symptoms occur within a day or two after travel?

Do you have disturbed sleep, such as insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness?

Do you have a daytime fatigue?

Do you have difficulty concentrating or functioning at your usual level?

Do you have stomach problems, constipation or diarrhea?

Do you have a mild sickness or a general feeling of not being well?

Do you have mood changes?

If you are a woman, do you have menstrual problems?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have a jet lag disorder. Jet lag disorder is a temporary sleep disorder that is also known as flight fatigue. Human bodies have a sort of internal biological clock that regulates bodily functions during a 24-hour cycle, called a circadian rhythm. A part of the brain called the hypothalamus activates various bodily functions depending on whether it is day or night. Every time you cross two or more time zones while traveling, your brain may start activities for which the rest of your body is not ready, and you may develop various symptoms known as a jet lag disorder.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have a jet lag disorder. Jet lag disorder is a temporary condition caused by your body's inability to adjust to the time in a different zone instantly. Jet lag disorder usually occurs in those who have traveled through at least two time zones. Also, symptoms are usually a bit more severe or last longer in people who have crossed multiple time zones during the trip. Jet lag is a harmless condition and recovery can take a few days, depending on how many time zones you have crossed. In older adults, recovery from jet lag may take slightly longer.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have a jet lag disorder. Jet lag disorder is a sleep disorder that occurs in people who travel across two or more time zones. When you cross time zones, your biological clock, which controls your body's functions when you are awake or asleep, cannot quickly get into the rhythm of the new time zone, so during this period of desynchronization, jet lag symptoms appear. Jet lag symptoms are temporary, but if you travel frequently and are often bothered by jet lag, you should visit a sleep specialist. Treatment includes light therapy and medications.