What actually causes jetlag, and why do some people get it worse than others?

Question

What actually causes jetlag, and why do some people get it worse than others?

Answer 1

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms is a factor. Some people just adjust to the interruption better than others

Answer 2

Crossing time zones, or the international date line. Are you effected by daylight savings time? Then jet lag will nail you.

Answer 3

Our bodies are programmed to be active and alert during the day and to sleep at night. Travelling across the earth's time zones disrupts these natural rhythms, resulting in extreme tiredness.

riding on a plane causes it because there is a lose of 20-25% oxygen in the cabin causing extreme tiredness

some people are highly affected by it while others are not depending on their sleeping habit and routine

Answer 4

My moms family all lives in Ireland and I'm in the usa so I have traveled quite a bit visiting them.  It's an eight hour time difference.  So basically jet lag is the fact that you are stuck in a different time zone.  The bigger the time difference, the worse the jet lag.  You just need to force yourself to get up in the mornings going by the new time.  It takes me three days usually to adjust.