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Why does traveling make you tired?
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β Why does traveling make you tired?β
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Car travel is especially tiring due to acceleration, braking, and winding roads. You'll also feel more tired on a plane ride that experiences turbulence than one that doesn't. Train travel is less tiring for this reason, simply because it's a smoother journey.
βοΈ π π Reason #3: Sitting for long periods of time reduces circulation which causes fatigue.
Sitting too long without movement slows blood and lymph circulation. These fluids supply oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and joints and take away waste. When circulation is impaired, your body feels more fatigued.
βοΈ π Reason #4: Dehydration leads to fatigue.
Dehydration also contributes to travel fatigue. When your body has less of the fluids it needs to function, it can cause you to feel fatigued.
With air travel, the plane's air circulation system delivers breathable air from the outside to passengers. But at high altitudes, the humidity of that air is only 10-20%, which is far drier than comfortable levels of 30-50% humidity that most people are used to. Over time, breathing in this drier air reduces the moisture within your body, which is why you're advised to stay hydrated on long flights.
Long road trips, especially in summer, can also cause dehydration. When you sit in a car, your body makes contact with the seat which warms your body, increasing sweat and dehydration. Not to mention, you might be intentionally limiting your fluid intake so you have to make fewer restroom stops.
βοΈ π Reason #6: Lower oxygen levels increase fatigue.
Plane and car travel also can lead you to experience lower oxygen levels, causing fatigue.
Planes are designed to pressurize the cabin so youβre not experiencing the extreme altitudes outside, but the the air pressure inside is still lower than at sea levelβroughly equivalent to being at 6,000β8,000 feet (~1,800-2,400 meters). While planes are designed to bring in fresh air, the lower density at altitude means your body has to work harder to absorb and distribute oxygen.
Air always contains about 21% oxygen, but at higher altitudes, those oxygen molecules are more spread out. So with every breath, youβre taking in less oxygen than you would at sea level, making your heart rate increase and contributing to fatigue.
Long car rides can also lower oxygen levels, but thereβs an easy fix. If you start to feel drowsy while driving, turn off your air recirculation button.
When turned on, this setting recirculates the air inside the car cabin, making running the A/C more efficient by reflowing the already cooled air. But, it comes at a cost: As you continue to breathe, the level of oxygen decreases and level of carbon dioxide increases. Over time, this can cause you to feel tired. So turn off air recirculation or roll down your windows every so often to get that sweet, sweet oxygen.
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βSources for this week's newsletterβ
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π Book of the week
βThe Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singhβ
It's only February, but I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Singh's book dives into the hidden math references that made their way into the television show The Simpsons. If you have interest in any of the following topics, I'd bet you'd like this book too: The Simpsons, Futurama, history, math, silly jokes, comedy writing. I learned so many interesting tidbits in this book. One of my favorite discoveries was the Indiana pi bill, or the time when a lawmaker attempted to declare pi's value to simply be 3.2. The hubris!
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βCheck out the full list of books I've recommended here.
π Catch up on other curious questions
- βWhy is it easier to balance a bike in motion?ββ
- βWhy do dogs stick their head out the window?ββ
- βWhy does electricity make noise?ββ
P.S. π€ Do you have a question for the newsletter? Click here to submit your question (or reply to this email!)
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π‘ Today You Should Know
Learn something new every Friday. Join 2,000+ nerds and satisfy your curiosity one question at a time with topics including science, technology, history, and more.
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