Issue #166: Why jetlag hits women harder

I’m not imagining it! 

I have been in Europe and London working my day job for the past two weeks. It’s been immersive, fun and exhilarating exploring AI, design and visiting Drakonheart, the most amazing Hogwart’s type school for neuro-diverse children and young people in Denmark.

I can’t wait to get back to the family and Be Well but I am not looking forward to that Eastward flight + jetlag combo.

Have you ever wondered why you feel completely destroyed after a time zone shift while your male travel partner seems to bounce back?

Those middle-aged or older women who feel like jetlag hits them harder than the men in their lives aren’t imagining it. Leading women’s health experts and the latest breakthroughs in circadian biology agree: biological sex and hormonal stages play a massive role in how we experience sleep disruptions.

Estrogen (or lack thereof)

Recent research reveals a fascinating biological paradox: in our younger years, our hormones actively fight to fix jetlag. When exposed to a simulated six hour time change, females with optimal estrogen levels completely resynchronised their internal clocks to the new light-dark cycle roughly two days earlier than males. Estrogen acts as a protective shield, helping the brain’s master clock snap back into place.

However, during perimenopause and menopause, this biological advantage completely vanishes. As estrogen and progesterone plummet, the master clock in the brain loses its primary stabilizer. Without that hormonal shield, the clock becomes fragile, making it significantly harder to adjust to new time zones. 

The brain fog toll

The cognitive aftermath of fighting your internal clock is also profound. Real-world data from female flight attendants on long-haul routes reveals distinct learning deficits and a reduction in brain volume in these areas. Crucially, this brain fog isn’t just caused by stress; it is driven directly by the chaotic scrambling of the circadian clock itself.

The direction matters

Travelling East (shortening the day, like flying from Europe to Australia) is universally tougher on the body than traveling West (lengthening the day, like flying from the US to Australia) because our natural biological clock prefers a slightly longer day.

Then there’s social jetlag

You don’t need to board a plane to experience this. Modern women are highly susceptible to ‘social jetlag’: the discrepancy between your biological clock and the demands of daily life.

Your Jetlag Action Plan

We aren’t powerless against our biology. Whether we are navigating menopause or just trying to survive a brutal flight, here is how to strategically protect your rhythm:

The 11,000 step buffer: Recent data shows that maintaining a physical activity target of 11,000 steps per day successfully minimises jetlag and alleviates daytime exhaustion. Getting these steps in early morning light is the single best way to manually anchor a fragile clock.

Master your melatonin timing: melatonin is a clock-shifter, not a sleeping pill. Clinical guidelines suggest taking a low-dose (0.5mg to 3mg) rapid-release formulation close to your target bedtime at your destination. Avoid mega doses, which linger too long and confuse your brain.

Ruthless temperature control: if you are navigating menopause, your internal thermostat is already compromised. Keep your destination bedroom at 16–18°C to combat travel-induced hot flushes.

​Time your caffeine: use caffeine strategically in the morning of your destination time zone to accelerate resynchronization. Avoid it late in the day, as it pushes your internal clock backward.

Anchor your wake time: forced to choose, I believe this strategy is the most important: keep your wake-up time within 60 to 90 minutes of the same time every day, even on weekends.

My Be Well Jetlag Action Plan

After arriving at Tullamarine, I get myself to Be Well ASAP address two things jetlag destroys: cellular oxygenation/circulation and core body temperature regulation.

​Step 1: The Hydroxy Airpod (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy)

• ​When to do it: Morning or early afternoon after landing.

• ​How it helps: The Hydroxy Airpod floods your plasma and tissues with pressurized oxygen. This reverses cellular hypoxia, dramatically reduces systemic inflammation and delivers an immediate hit of cognitive clarity. It essentially reboots your cells after the flight.

​Step 2: Compression Boots

• ​When to do it: Immediately after your Airpod session.

• ​How it helps: Flying causes severe blood pooling in the lower extremities and reduces lymphatic drainage. Compression boots use sequential pneumatic compression to mimic the body’s natural muscle pump, flushing out accumulated metabolic waste and forcing freshly oxygenated blood (courtesy of the Airpod) back up to your core and brain.

​Step 3: The Infrared Sauna 

• When to do it: late afternoon/ evening 

• ​How it helps: Sweating in the sauna helps flush out travel toxins, relaxes tight muscles from the flight, and artificially spikes your core body temperature.

​Step 4: Hot / Cold Baths (Contrast Therapy)

• ​How it helps: Move straight from the sauna into the contrast baths, ending with the Cold Plunge.

• ​How it helps: Your brain’s master clock decides it is time to sleep by looking for a rapid drop in core body temperature. By heating your body up in the sauna/hot bath and then plunging into the cold bath, you trigger a massive, rapid cooling effect.

When you step out of the cold plunge, your blood vessels dilate, heat escapes your body, and your core temperature plummets. This drastic drop sends a powerful, unambiguous signal straight to the brain’s master clock: it is night time. This releases melatonin immediately.

Safe travels, Be Well Members, and recover quickly from jetlag!