Eli5: how can a 14-15 hours flight trip can make you feel jet lagged but even a long 20 hours train journey doesn’t have the same effect?

Question

Is it because typically during these long flights there is a a change in multiple time zones and that messes your circadian rythm?

In: 541

Answer 1

I might be taking out of my rectum here, but my understanding of jetlag is:

Your body got used to waking up in tne morning, after some 12ish hours it’s dark and soon you go to sleep.

When you travel by plane (east or west from your location) that internal clock messes up since you were awake for 12 hours and you arrive to a destination and it’s still day, while your body is expecting night.

That’s just an example, works other way around too.

I haven’t experienced any jetlag when traveling (almost) straight south, since there are no changes in time, so I think my reasoning is correct or at least on a proper track