What causes jet lag?

[Publisher]

I've read all of the stuff saying its the disruption in circadian rhythms caused by rapid time zone changes disrupting our sleep pattern.

I dont think thats all it is.

You get similar symptoms by riding in ground transport to varying degrees, even if you stay in the same time zone.

My theory: Its the vibrations by the motor in the ultrasound range coursing through your entire body. The intensity and frequency varies based on the type of transport.

Do astronauts get jet lag on the space station? Theyre sleep pattern is regulated artificially, the circadian rhytm set by man.

[vorlon]

I've read all of the stuff saying its the disruption in circadian rhythms caused by rapid time zone changes disrupting our sleep pattern.

I dont think thats all it is.

You get similar symptoms by riding in ground transport to varying degrees, even if you stay in the same time zone.

My theory: Its the vibrations by the motor in the ultrasound range coursing through your entire body. The intensity and frequency varies based on the type of transport.

Do astronauts get jet lag on the space station? Theyre sleep pattern is regulated artificially, the circadian rhytm set by man.

I haven't noticed this myself, even when I've made the 1000 mile drive between the Twin Cities and Dallas-Ft. Worth in a day.

The environment the astronauts are trying to sleep in is so different from what it is on the Earth that I think it would make drawing any conclusions very difficult.

[Publisher]

I've read all of the stuff saying its the disruption in circadian rhythms caused by rapid time zone changes disrupting our sleep pattern.

I dont think thats all it is.

You get similar symptoms by riding in ground transport to varying degrees, even if you stay in the same time zone.

My theory: Its the vibrations by the motor in the ultrasound range coursing through your entire body. The intensity and frequency varies based on the type of transport.

Do astronauts get jet lag on the space station? Theyre sleep pattern is regulated artificially, the circadian rhytm set by man.

I haven't noticed this myself, even when I've made the 1000 mile drive between the Twin Cities and Dallas-Ft. Worth in a day.

The environment the astronauts are trying to sleep in is so different from what it is on the Earth that I think it would make drawing any conclusions very difficult.

My jet lag is pretty much gone with one day of sleep change. Flying to Mexico City from ORD - about the same as that of doing a ride on a train to New Orleans. Riding in the car, almost nothing.

But I've ridden as a passenger 750 miles each way to New Orleans, by car, truck and train. The severity of the fatigue on each was different, with that from the train the worst, then the truck, then the car.

[wallaby]

The 16hr flight from DFW to SYD is a bitch. Especially since its paired with travel to and from those airports.
The leg to Australia takes longer to recover from than the trip back though. I still get a kick out of arriving in DFW before I've left SYD (when the relevant daylight saving vs standard times are in effect).

[The_Carpenter]

I don't think it's actually the travel at all.
I've made long jumps and my thoughts are simply higher levels of tension are the primary issue. Of course travel can cause that though.
Once upon a time ago had a recurring plane jump and met a couple pilots with a minor convo while waiting for logistics to process a plane. Couple months later. Same crew. Actually fell asleep on a 2 hr jump. Stewardess woke me up with a coffee and asked how I had dozed (as I was in front of cabin near food galley with all that noise). I said I knew pilot. The epiphany was, zero tension cause I knew crew.
Version two is, coming back to KC from west coast, with what looked like college kids as crew on a late night jump. I pounded coffee the whole time. But, at landing, contacted the premier local head doctor that was in between to my place and got an invite over. Slept well and up in morning and beat the bridge traffic by a couple minutes.
My conclusion, tension is the issue. Not actually travel.