Circadian rhythms and 24 hour days contribute to difficulties adjusting to new time zones.
A study published today in Chaos has applied mathematical models to discover more about the east-west jet lag phenomenon. The study’s first author, Zhixin Lu, explains why sunlight plays such an important role in adjusting to new time zones and how people can best minimize the impact of jet lag.
ResearchGate: Could you explain what you wanted to study?
Zhixin Lu: Circadian rhythms, which govern jet-lag recovery, are known to be controlled by the synchronization of many neuronal oscillators in the brain. People frequently report that recovery from jet lag is faster following westward travel than eastward travel, something that we wanted to explore in the study.
ResearchGate: Could you explain what you wanted to study?
Zhixin Lu: Circadian rhythms, which govern jet-lag recovery, are known to be controlled by the synchronization of many neuronal oscillators in the brain. People frequently report that recovery from jet lag is faster following westward travel than eastward travel, something that we wanted to explore in the study.
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