Jet lag and melatonin
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Jet lag and melatonin
Jet lag is caused by flying in an airplane and crossing one or more time zones, which can disrupt the body's sleep and wake cycle (circadian rhythms). Jet travel across time zones may make it difficult for you to fall asleep, stay asleep, or stay awake during the day.
The effects of jet lag usually are greater if you are going from west to east than from east to west.
Without treatment, it usually takes 1 day to recover from each hour of time change. For example, if you cross 3 time zones, it takes you 3 days to adjust your body's internal clock.
To treat jet lag, melatonin can be taken for a few days before a flight and for a few days after arrival. However, suggestions about times and dosages vary among researchers who have studied melatonin.1 When traveling east, some recommend that you take a very low dose (0.5 mg or less) of melatonin beginning at 3:00 p.m. on the days before departure, at 3:00 p.m. on the day of departure, and again at around 3:00 p.m. (local time) on the first day after you have arrived at your destination.2 Reduce the dose and take it a few hours earlier each successive day. Do not drive a vehicle if melatonin makes you sleepy during the day.
There are other things you can do to decrease the effects of jet lag. Be rested before your flight, and try to walk around during the flight so that you are not confined to cramped spaces for long periods of time. Drink lots of water, because the air in jets tends to be dry. Vitamins and herbal remedies that can be bought without a prescription can also be tried to help reduce jet lag.
Going outdoors during the day may help fight jet lag by resetting your circadian rhythms. After traveling across 6 or fewer time zones, go outside for 30 minutes first thing in the morning (but do not look directly at the sun). After traveling through 7 or more time zones, avoid morning sun for the first day or two and go outside in the afternoon.
References
Citations
Avery D, et al. (1998). Guidelines for prescribing melatonin. Annals of Medicine, 30(1): 122–130.
Sack RL, et al. (1998). Use of melatonin for sleep and circadian rhythm disorders. Annals of Medicine, 30(1): 115–121.
Credits
| Author | Colleen Cronin |
| Author | Merrill Hayden |
| Editor | Katy E. Magee, MA |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Michele Cronen |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Malin K. Clark, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry |
| Last Updated | February 2, 2006 |
| Last updated: | February 02, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Merrill Hayden |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Malin K. Clark, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Michele Cronen |
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