On long-haul travels and road trips, while jet lag is commonly associated with air travel, many people wonder if it is possible to experience jet lag from driving. As a company with expertise in jet lag, we'll disclose the research we've done to show you if you can you get jet lag from driving.
Jet lag, also known as desynchronosis or flight fatigue, affects travelers who cross multiple time zones during flight. When we travel across time zones, especially through air travel, our internal clock gets out of sync with the new time zone, leading to a range of symptoms collectively known as jet lag.
While most sources contribute jet lag to only time zone crossing, in the research we've found it can be related to a combination of the following causes.
Causes Of Jet Lag:
Now that you know the key causes of jet lag with the combination of these factors — including crossing time zones, dehydration, airplane altitude pressure, sun deprivation, and lack of movement — let's look into if and how jet lag could be caused by driving.
Prepping for a long-haul driving, road trips, or an RV adventure — many have you wondering if you can get jet lag from driving.
From our research, yes science has shown there's a correlation and likely a causation for a mild form of jet lag from long-distance driving. Technically, there's a term coined “road lag” for the effects of driving similar to jet lag.
Read further, where we explain why you can get jet lag from driving with science-back details.
Although the symptoms would be much less mild than airplane travel, we find there are still many causes of jet lag from driving. These symptoms are more often categorized as road lag.
These road lag symptoms from long-haul traveling by car are likely less than jet lag by airplane, nevertheless it can still have a negative impact on your body and how you feel.
5 Causes Of Road Lag From Driving:
The combination of three factors can contribute to road lag from driving, similar to jet lag — including dehydration, lack of movement, crossing time zones, motion sickness, and disrupted sleeping schedule.
When it comes to experiencing jet lag from driving, or road lag, the symptoms can be similar to those experienced during air travel. While driving long distances across multiple time zones doesn't involve all of the same factors as air travel, a few factors can still lead to a negative impact on how you feel.
In addition, motion sickness that approximately 25% of people experience can play a big role in your driving experience.
Symptoms Of Jet Lag From Driving:
One or a combination of these symptoms are a risk when driving during long-distance driving. They usually develop within 1-2 of driving, or sometimes upon your destination arrival.
To minimize the impact of jet lag from driving, or road lag, consider the following tips from the years of research we've done when it comes to traveling.
Here's 4 Tips To Avoid Jet Lag from Driving:
In conclusion, for those worried if you can you get jet lag from driving (or road lag), follow these travel tips to help avoid it — including increasing hydration, making adequate rest stops, and taking travel supplements.
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SOURCES:
1. Up in the Air: Evidence of Dehydration Risk and Long-Haul Flight on Athletic Performance
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551461/
2. Can You Get Altitude Sickness from Flying?
https://www.healthline.com/health/altitude-sickness-flights
3. How Sun Exposure Affects Sleep and Melatonin Production
https://lifespa.com/ayurvedic-lifestyle/circadian-rhythm/sun-exposure-melatonin/
4. The Benefits of Exercise while Traveling
https://chuzefitness.com/blog/benefits-exercise-while-traveling/
5. Influence of Aerobic Exercise on Sleep and Salivary Melatonin in Men
https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijsem/international-journal-of-sports-and-exercise-medicine-ijsem-6-161.php?
6. Adult Dehydration
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
7. Driving Dehydrated Can Be as Dangerous as Driving Drunk
https://www.atbs.com/post/driving-dehydrated-as-dangerous-as-driving-drunk
8. What's to know about motion sickness?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176198
9. Dehydrating drinks: Caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dehydrating-drinks
10. Can You Get Jet Lag From Driving? (Road Lag) – and How to Avoid It
https://www.coralablanket.com/blog/2023/04/19/can-you-get-jet-lag-from-driving/
