Why does travelling make us tired

I think most of us have had one or more of these days at one point or another. The thing we do to de-stress and escape the working world.

There are two main causes of travel burnout when it comes to backpacking and living life on the road:. Never, mentally, fully escaping life back home.

While you may have physically left, your mind is still stuck back home, in work or in other issues. Travelling too fast. Travelling too fast has become more of an issue in recent years with everyone trying to cram entire cities into a few days and whole countries into a couple of weeks or less. So, what the hell can we do to avoid burnout hitting us?

Burnout is like a brick wall standing in the middle of a road. Luckily, there are plenty of early warning signs that suggest you might be suffering from travel burnout, or that you may be heading towards a crash in the near future.

You may think of this purely as work-related but it can be just as common on the backpacking trail. Feeling disinterested and being unable to focus on any given task is a tell-tale sign that burnout is coming. Burnout can leave you feeling more negative than you usually do, both towards others and yourself. We get stressed out or we feel totally overwhelmed perhaps by travelling too quickly or by packing too much stuff into our itinerary and we resort to binge eating our favourite comfort food.

Another common symptom and early sign of travel fatigue is if you find yourself distracted when eating. Work can wait. Netflix can wait Especially when travelling. This is what I was talking about at the beginning when you just want to spend the entire day in bed; not necessarily because of sleepiness but because of total mental and emotional exhaustion.

You have the same worries and fears playing around in your head, on repeat. Goldman explains, because about 50 percent of the air circulating in the cabin is pulled from the outside, and at high altitudes the air is almost completely devoid of moisture. This might cause your throat, nose and skin to feel dry.

What you can do: To stay hydrated, pack an empty water bottle in your carry-on that you can refill after going through security and take with you on the plane,. Wear glasses instead of contacts to help prevent discomfort to the eyes. You might think that recirculating air in the cabin would make you prone to getting sick, but commercial airlines actually have advanced filtering systems that remove most bacteria, fungi and viruses from the air.

Tray tables, seatbelt buckles and other surfaces that are frequently touched may also be covered with germs. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you, and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly throughout your travel.

Air pressure is lower at higher altitudes, which means your body takes in less oxygen. What you can do: Hydration is key.

Goldman recommends trying to keep your sleep schedule on your home time zone. For example, if you were going to a destination that's 6 hours ahead of you, set your clocks to 6 hours ahead for a couple of days before leaving.

Adjusting your schedule to fit your new destination can reduce the drastic change to your program when traveling across time zones. Another common reason for travelers feeling exhausted is intense travel schedules. Many vacationers and professionals have a lot of traveling to do in a short amount of time. Constant traveling can quickly cause increased levels of fatigue.

You may not feel tired after a single journey, but over time, a lot of traveling can put your body and mind under stress, leading to illness, and fatigue quickly sets in.

What food do you usually pack for a journey? You're also likely to drink sodas or alcoholic drinks to alleviate stress and make your journey more enjoyable. People usually eat more and overindulge when on vacation, leading to disruptions to your digestive system and energy levels. If your body is used to regular meals and healthy eating, you'll likely notice a sharp decline in your motivation and energy levels due to a poor diet.

It can lead to feelings of fatigue when you return from vacation. Human beings are creatures of habit. Most people have patterns that they follow every day. These patterns can be anything from when you eat or go to bed or what you eat and drink to how much sleep you get at night.

Disruptions to daily routines can cause fatigue, among other issues. This is especially true if traveling for vacation or an extended period. Spending hours sitting in one place can cause you to feel tired at different times of the day compared with your routine. As a result, your sleeping patterns become disrupted, leading to a poor night's sleep, which in turn leaves you tired and cranky in the morning.

The change in when you eat your meals can also lead to energy being released into your body at different times of the day. Therefore, you may have more energy at night and less in the morning than usual or vice versa. You may experience fatigue as a result. While there are numerous causes of fatigue after traveling, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you prevent this from happening.

Here are a few great ways to minimize your travel fatigue:. Taking the time out of your day to have a nap is a great way to reduce travel fatigue. Naps give you the chance to catch up on some much-needed sleep while traveling. After all, traveling can be expensive, and you want to get your money's worth. However, constantly being on the go will zap your energy levels and leave you exhausted. You can prevent this by taking a break, getting a coffee, or simply relaxing for a few minutes.

Taking a break can also alleviate the stress of traveling so you can figure out what you're going to do next. People often create an itinerary for their travels. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

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Updated February 8, Written by Eric Suni. Medically Reviewed by Dr. Abhinav Singh. What Are the Symptoms of Jet Lag? What Causes Jet Lag?

What Is Jet Lag? The most common symptoms of jet lag include: Sleeping problems: It may be hard to fall asleep when you want to, or you may wake up earlier than planned.

Jet lag can also cause sleep to be fragmented. Daytime sleepiness: Jet lag frequently causes you to feel drowsy or tired during the day. Impaired thinking: You may experience problems with attention or memory or simply feel like your thinking is slowed. Hampered physical function: Your body may feel tired, and peak physical performance may be affected, which is especially notable for traveling athletes. Emotional difficulties: Some people with jet lag feel irritable, and evidence indicates that jet lag can exacerbate mental health problems , such as mood disorders.

General malaise: Jet lag may make you feel malaise , which is a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness Stomach problems: Jet lag can induce gastrointestinal problems like reduced appetite, nausea, or even constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Sleep paralysis and seizures: In rare circumstances, jet lag may impact sleep architecture which may increase the risk of sleep paralysis and nighttime seizures. Multiple factors influence the likelihood and severity of jet lag: Trip details: The total distance, amount of layovers, time zones crossed, direction of travel, local daylight hours, length of time at the destination, and other specifics of a trip can affect jet lag.

Arrival time: When you arrive at your destination may affect your circadian rhythm. For eastward travel, some evidence indicates that jet lag is reduced with afternoon arrivals compared to those in the early morning.

People over 60 experience circadian changes that can make it harder for them to recover from jet lag , but some research in pilots found jet lag to be worse in younger people. Stress: Being stressed-out can keep the mind and body on-edge in ways that interfere with sleep and make it harder to cope with jet lag.

Use of alcohol and caffeine: Many people drink alcohol and coffee during flights, and these substances affect the brain in ways that can disrupt sleep. Past history of jet lag: People who have previously had jet lag are prone to have it again. Sign up below for your free gift. Your privacy is important to us. Was this article helpful? Yes No. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , June Oxford University Press. Medical Encyclopedia. Jet lag disorder. Walker, W. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health.

Translational Psychiatry, 10 1 , Schwab, R. Duboc, H. Disruption of circadian rhythms and gut motility: An overview of underlying mechanisms and associated pathologies. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 54 5 , — Vosko, A. Jet lag syndrome: Circadian organization, pathophysiology, and management strategies.