Almost anyone who’s been on long flights from one country to the next has experienced jet lag. If you’re anything like me, you get it several times a year! Whenever I fly home to see family for a weekend, three time zones away, I spend the entire next week trying to adapt to the new time zone.
Jet lag is an inconvenience to be sure. But it also can manifest various symptoms including some physical ailments as well. Jet lag symptoms can even include mood changes and gastrointestinal problems.
All of these reasons are why people try aggressively to fight jet lag and other symptoms of travel. But, the most common solutions are non-effective, habit-forming, narcotic or over-the-counter remedies like sleeping pills.
The good news is, if you need help with jet lag or experience insomnia when you travel, we have the most effective remedy — CBD!
Jet lag is very simple. As humans, our bodies appreciate a predictable rhythm of life. We go to sleep at the same time almost every day because our body tells us to do so. This circadian rhythm is what makes us tired when we’re actually tired. It’s imperative to our overall health that we maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle.
Air travel messes with that internal rhythm. Modern air travel allows us to travel long distances, traversing time zones with expediency never before imagined more than sixty years ago.
Consequently, sometimes we find ourselves getting off a plane in a time zone where it’s midnight…but our internal clock says it’s only 7pm still. This creates sleep disturbances, and trouble remaining asleep, that lasts for days and can be a detriment to your overall health.
Circadian rhythm is the internal twenty-four-hour cycle that maintains our body’s balance and rhythm.
Believe it or not, this rhythm maintains lots of functions in your body. Everything from mood to appetite. But it’s most famous for controlling when we sleep.
It might come as no surprise that our circadian rhythms can be affected by the sun. Have you ever tried to take a nap during the day with the sun beaming down on your face? Despite being tired, it’s unlikely you were able to doze off. That’s because the sun plays a critical role in establishing our internal clock.
In fact, some blind individuals struggle with what’s called non-24. Since they can’t visually perceive the sun, their internal circadian rhythm can be thrown out of whack.
Five common symptoms of jet lag
Most jet lag affects are associated with sleep. They include:
-Disturbed sleep – This is when you wake up like a shot in the morning ready to start your day! Problem is, it’s still 4am.
-Daytime fatigue – We’ve all experienced this before. You hit that 1pm wall — except with jet lag, it lasts for three hours and coffee doesn’t help very much.
-Difficulty concentrating – Along with fatigue, jet lag has the potential to temporarily impact our cognitive function. Again, it’s only temporary. But it’s probably a good idea to avoid having a job interview while jet lagged!
-Anxiety – As is the case whenever anyone is lacking proper sleep, it can mess with our emotional functions as well. Anxiety is a common symptom of jet lag.
Jet lag can create more than just tiredness. Other symptoms of jet lag involve gastrointestinal distress including constipation or diarrhea.
There are multiple avenues in which CBD helps with jet lag. Let’s explore each one in depth!
Scientists have only in the last decade started studying CBD in depth. But already, in that short time frame, there have been some really encouraging evidence that CBD helps induce alertness.
Here’s a study that explores CBD’s alert-inducing effects. CBD given to female and male rats had the effect of creating more alertness during a lights-on period. That means, during the day, CBD has the potential to reset and rebalance your natural clock and keep you more alert and less sleepy. Alertness is a huge part of fighting jet lag.
Think about it this way. Let’s suppose you traveled somewhere new and you’re tired. All you want is for your head to hit the pillow. But it’s only 4pm and if you go to bed now, you could have sleep problems for a week. What a great time to take a CBD product, like CBD oil, to maintain your alertness and stave off lethargy for the requisite period of time.
Under circumstances like that, alertness is your friend. CBD helps you get to where you can watch a movie, or get some work done, without accidentally dozing off. Ensuring that tomorrow will be a good day!
Perhaps CBD’s greatest contribution towards fighting jet lag is its natural effect on our circadian rhythms. What better way to prevent jet lag than by re-balancing the same internal systems thrown out of whack by travel.
Check out this study to explore how CBD has potential therapeutic effects on insomnia.
People taking CBD products (like CBD oil) understand firsthand how it works within your body’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for regulating your entire body. CBD replenishes this vital system which brings your whole body into homeostasis.
And last but not least, CBD helps control anxiety levels. Not only is anxiety an unwelcomed symptom of jet lag, but it can also contribute to sleep disturbances.
One of CBD’s most potent effects is its ability to calm and soothe the body, both physically and mentally. For further evidence, look no further than this study published by Neurotherapeutics. It takes an in-depth look at CBD as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. Whether it was generalized anxiety or more acute disorders such as PTSD, CBD plays a promising role in diminishing the effects of anxiety.
CBD has the ability to treat jet lag by stopping the cycle of anxiety, allowing you to focus more intently during the day and sleep better at night.
CBD users have multiple choices of how to get CBD into their bloodstream in order to avoid jet lag. Everything from a few drops of CBD oil to patches you place on your arm for time-released CBD relief! Check out these options:
CBD Transdermal Patch – Perfect for active, time-released delivery of CBD directly into the bloodstream. Apply one before getting on your plane. Also great for localized pain, soreness and stiffness.
CBD Full Spectrum Oil Drops – One of the best ways to get your CBD fix. Half a dropper delivers CBD directly into your bloodstream and specifically helps soothe anxiety and facilitate sleep.
CBD Bath Bombs – After you arrive at your destination, these bombs are the perfect way to unwind. Relax in the hot water as your body absorbs the CBD and eases you into the new time zone!
Electric Daisy Enzyme Face Mask – Rich in CBD, this mask is famous for its detoxifying properties and the stimulating effect it has on our skin. It’s also an excellent anti-inflammatory.
There you have it. The myriad ways in which CBD helps the body overcome jet lag, daytime sleepiness and other travel-related issues. We offer more than anecdotal evidence, we offer proof grounded in science that CBD helps with our natural sleep cycle. Again, CBD helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety and makes us more alert, allowing travelers to enter new time zones with ease.
Don’t hesitate to experiment with CBD on your next trip. Take it before you arrive at the airport or whenever you might feel symptoms coming on.
Also, you don’t have to wait to traverse eight time zones to experience firsthand the positive effects CBD has on our bodies. The world is your oyster and CBD is here to help you explore it!