20/20: Learn to Fight Jet Lag

Dec. 1 -- You’ve planned a trip to Paris and can’t wait to get to the City of Lights. When you arrive, it’s early morning in Paris, but your body feels like it’s midnight back home.While you desperately want to check out the Eiffel Tower, all you can think of is going to sleep. You’ve become a victim of jet lag.

If you’ve ever flown across time zones there’s a strong chance you’ve suffered from jet lag. The condition is fundamentally a brain problem that occurs when a person crosses time zones suddenly, which throws the brain’s clock out of synch. ABCNEWS’ Dr. Tim Johnson looked at the proliferation of jet-lag cures on the market and reports on safe, cheap and effective remedies to fight the condition on 20/20 this evening.

The Use of LightVeteran long-distance traveler Les Adams tells Johnson he found his solution by applying the findings of a scientific study on jet lag tohis own travel routine. Adams says he was inspired by an article in the prestigious medical journal Science, in which researchers concluded that light behind the knees might be an effective way to treat jet lag. He went to his local hardware store and purchased a couple of mag lights that he uses to shine light on the back of his knees during flights.

Although Adams’ solution gets him a lot of attention during flights, the reasoning behind it may not be that farfetched. The theory is that light hits the blood vessels behind the knee, which kicks off a chemical process that resets the brain’s clock. And while scientists need more studies before they endorse Adams’ remedy, they do agree that the best way to reset the brain’s clock to adjust to a new time zone is with light.

“The solution to jet lag, the ultimate solution if you can do it, is total control of light and dark,” says sleep physiologist Dr. MartinMoore-Ede. He recommends the use of an anti-jet lag device that travelers can set to receive a dose of light shining in their eyes while they’re in flight.