Why Flying East Feels Worse: How I Deal With Jet Lag

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1. 01Why Flying East Feels Worse

   Good afternoon, everyone. I'm a flight attendant based in Dubai, so I cross time zones almost every week. I've noticed that jet lag feels much worse after some flights than others. Today, I'll explain why, and what helps me.

   大家下午好。我是一名常驻迪拜的空乘，几乎每周都要跨越时区。我发现，有些航班之后的时差反应比其他航班严重得多。今天，我来解释一下原因，以及哪些方法对我有帮助。

2. 02What Is Jet Lag?

   Jet lag happens when your body clock is still on your home time, but you're living on a different local time. You feel sleepy at lunch and wide awake at night.

   时差反应是指你的生物钟还停留在家乡的时间，但你却生活在另一个当地时间里。你会在午饭时犯困，到了晚上却特别清醒。

3. 03How Fast We Adjust

   According to the CDC, the U.S. public health agency, people adjust on average about one and a half hours per day after flying west, but only about one hour per day after flying east.

   根据美国公共卫生机构CDC，也就是美国疾病控制与预防中心的说法，向西飞行后，人们平均每天能调整大约一个半小时，而向东飞行后，每天只能调整大约一个小时。

   Source: CDC Yellow Book, "Jet Lag Disorder"

4. 04Why East Is Harder

   Why is east harder? The CDC explains that, for most people, the body's natural rhythm is slightly longer than twenty-four hours. So it's easier to go to bed later, as when you fly west, than to go to bed earlier, as when you fly east.

   为什么向东飞更难呢？CDC解释说，对大多数人来说，身体的自然节律略长于二十四小时。所以推迟睡觉，比如向西飞的时候，要比提前睡觉，比如向东飞的时候，更容易一些。

   Source: CDC Yellow Book, "Jet Lag Disorder"

5. 05The Power of Light

   The most powerful tool is light. According to the CDC, light helps set our internal clock. Morning light tends to move the clock earlier, which helps after flying east, while evening light moves it later, which helps after flying west.

   最有效的工具是光。根据CDC的说法，光能帮助调节我们的生物钟。早上的光往往会让生物钟提前，这对向东飞行后有帮助；而傍晚的光会让生物钟推迟，这对向西飞行后有帮助。

   Source: CDC Yellow Book, "Jet Lag Disorder"

6. 06What I Do After Flying East

   Here's my routine after flying east. I take a walk outside in the morning, avoid long naps, and eat dinner early. For long flights across many time zones, I check official advice first, because the right timing for light can be different.

   这是我向东飞行后的习惯。我早上会到户外散步，避免长时间午睡，晚饭也吃得早一些。如果是跨越很多时区的长途飞行，我会先查看官方建议，因为接触光照的合适时间可能会不一样。

7. 07What I Do After Flying West

   After flying west, it's easier. I spend the afternoon and early evening outside, and I try to stay awake until the local bedtime, even when I'm tired.

   向西飞行后就容易多了。我会在下午和傍晚待在户外，即使很累，也尽量坚持到当地的睡觉时间再睡。

8. 08Conclusion

   To sum up, jet lag isn't just tiredness. It's your body clock out of sync. Understanding which direction you're flying, and using light at the right time, can make your next trip much easier. Thank you.

   总结一下，时差反应不只是疲劳，而是你的生物钟失调了。了解自己往哪个方向飞，并在合适的时间利用光照，就能让你的下一次旅行轻松很多。谢谢大家。