If you are one of the millions who love a good cup of coffee as well as flying then there’s a little secret about caffeine you need to know. No prizes for guessing the coffee can keep you alert, awake and active for a longer duration. However, if you are planning to travel by air, drinking coffee right before your flight or during it can actually make jetlags worse for you.
Caffeine Messes With Your Circadian Rhythm
Each one of us has a sleep-wake cycle which we follow to involuntarily. This circadian rhythm is what makes us feel wakeful and drowsy at the same time every day. But the consumption of stimulants like caffeine can significantly alter the normal circadian rhythm.
Melatonin, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep. Scientific studies have found that caffeine keeps us awake by delaying melatonin release by the pineal gland. This leads to a delay in feeling sleepy for up to 40 minutes or more depending on the amount of caffeine you have consumed. Once we fall asleep, we are more likely to have a disturbed sleep and wake up feeling groggy.
In an attempt to keep oneself awake, most people are using caffeinated beverages like coffee to mess with the internal circadian rhythm, unknowingly. Prolonged alternations in one’s original circadian rhythm can lower the efficiency of one’s bodily functions. It can eventually lead to obesity, poor cognitive skills, gastrointestinal problems, and even cancer.1
Reason Behind Jet Lag
Desynchronosis or jet lag is a condition that came to be known to mankind after the invention of airplanes. It’s, fortunately, short-lived and subsides in a few days after air travel. When you travel across different time zones, your internal circadian rhythm and external time of your destination doesn’t sync.2
Symptoms arise if you cross more than 3 time zones. You will find relief in a matter of 3—5 days once you reach the new time zone. The more time zones you cross, the longer your jet lag could last. Jet lag is also considered as a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
Coffee May Improve Or Worsen Jet Lag
Scientists have found that if you are traveling west on a plane, a cup of double expresso before the flight can make the jetlag easier. On the other hand, if your flight is eastbound, then it’s best to stay away from all forms of caffeine if you don’t want to make you jetlag horrible.
When you drink coffee regularly, the circadian rhythm in each cell of your body thinks you are on a westbound flight and gets perked up to stay awake. This makes it even harder for you wake up once you do fall asleep. Therefore if you are on a long flight across time zones, it’s best to see the direction you are heading to before you gulp that coffee.
Ways To Combat Jet Lag
Jet lag can be easily managed by avoiding all kinds of distractions that can interrupt your sleep cycle. While traveling internationally across time zones, make sure to eat light and stay hydrated. Avoid caffeine in all forms as it takes about 6 hours to leave your body. Practice breathing and relaxation techniques to keep your circadian rhythm in check so that your jet lags aren’t too intense.3
References
