Evaluation of Early Jet Lag Symptoms by Passengers Crossing 7 Time Zones

Numerous studies have shown that travelling across three or more time zones may lead to jet lag, which is a consequence of circadian misalignment that occurs after crossing time zones too rapidly for the circadian system to keep pace. The main aim of this paper was to define the early symptoms of jet lag in travelers crossing seven time zones in the western and eastern direction. In order to verify the hypothesis there were 175 subjects, who could evaluate subjective severity of jet lag using a visual analogue scale. The current study showed that the significant predictors of early jet lag are tiredness, moodiness and gastrointestinal disturbance. There is a correlation between subjective effects of jet lag and physical well-being, tiredness, bowel movements, concentration and irritability.