Uncovering Jet lag-Depression link

Jet lag is a common issue after long-haul flights, leaving travelers feeling exhausted and dealing with digestive problems due to their internal clock, or circadian rhythm, being out of sync with their new time zone.

Researchers are now sounding the alarm on ‘internal jet lag’.

A recent study of young Australians seeking mental health treatment found that some patients exhibited symptoms eerily similar to jet lag-despite not having traveled anywhere.

The peculiar findings of the study suggest that healthcare providers should target biological clocks when treating mood disorders.

These disorders can manifest as persistent sadness (depression), extreme highs or mix of both (bipolar disorders).

The study targeted two sets of groups. The first group were of 69 people in the age bracket between 16 to 35. while the other group of 19 young people didn’t have a history of mental illness.

The participants were tested through swallowing a sensor that monitored their temperatures continuously. Besides, measuring their sleep and circadian-related hormones melatonin and cortisol.

What’s Melatonin & Cortisol?

A human body produces melatonin naturally, which helps regulate the sleep-wake pattern by signaling that it’s bedtime.

Cortisol, meanwhile, prepares the body for activity upon waking.

The researchers, were able to measure Melatonin and Cortisol levels using saliva samples in the lead up to sleep and after participants woke, explained, Prof. Carpenter, from the University of Sydney.

Carpenter’s team found that at least two circadian rhythm measures were out of sync from 25 mental health patients.

"Internal jet lag occurs when the clocks are not just delayed but not lining up with each other," she observed.

While teens, often sleep later due to normal developmental shifts, this is a more extreme disruption same like crossing time zones or shift work, where the body clock is out of sync with the environment.

The study’s findings, published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, don’t prove internal jet lag causes mental disorders, but they did link depressive symptoms to core body temperature cycles running on an earlier clock than other rhythms.

More research is needed to explore the link between body clock and mental health, potentially leading to new treatments for mood disorders. 

"This early evidence opens up new ways to study and treat mental health disorders, which could improve the lives of thousands of young Australians living with depression and anxiety," said Carpenter.

Better late than never

Depression is a lethal mental disorder that has the capability to dysfunction the system of human body, and spreading faster than ever in this tech driven world where we all live in.

My consultants advise it’s better to seeking help when you experience signs of frustrations, loneliness, or toxic surroundings, as these early signs can indicate depression, a silent killer. Breaking the monotonous life cycle is a key remedy to fight depression.

Keeping yourself engaged with stuff you love should be everyone’s top choice.

Related: US ‘body clock’ scientists win Nobel medicine prize