American Scientist

To the Editors:

My technique for overcoming jet lag, not mentioned in the article “Adapting Your Body Clock to a 24-Hour Society” (November–December) by Alexis Webb and Erik Herzog, is to set my watch for destination time at takeoff and to live as much as possible by that time, staying awake if it’s daytime over there and sleeping if it’s nighttime. I still have jet lag, but a large part of it I suffer on the plane, not at my destination. I have been doing this for some decades, and it is a great improvement over doing nothing in particular. One has to exert some discipline, of course, such as not watching the movie unless it’s daytime at my destination; also, meals often get served at strange hours.

John A. Wills
Oakland, CA

Drs. Webb and Herzog respond:

This approach of setting your watch to the time of your destination can work, provided you are getting light at times that will shift your body clock in the correct direction. The problem with living by your watch, however, is that you can also end up getting light that will actually shift you in the wrong direction. For example, if you are flying east, wanting to advance your clock, but you see light in the early part of your subjective night and end up sending your body clock west, you will delay your internal time and prolong your jet lag.