Does melatonin help jet lag?

Melatonin is remarkably effective in preventing or reducing jet lag, and occasional short-term use appears to be safe. It should be recommended to adult travellers flying across five or more time zones, particularly in an easterly direction, and especially if they have experienced jet lag on previous journeys.



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Prepare before the flight: Take 1 mg of melatonin after waking up and gradually start waking up later. Day of the flight: 1 mg after waking up.

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Common side effects
  • Feeling sleepy or tired in the daytime. Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery if you're feeling this way. ...
  • Headache. Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. ...
  • Stomach ache. ...
  • Feeling sick (nausea) ...
  • Feeling dizzy. ...
  • Feeling irritable or restless. ...
  • Dry mouth. ...
  • Dry or itchy skin.


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It is widely acknowledged that jet lag is worse when travelling east, but this has nothing to do with the direction of Earth's rotation. Like many creatures, humans have a circadian rhythm that follows a 24-hour period and is kept in sync by the eyes' response to natural light levels over the day.

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Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.

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Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.

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OTC melatonin has been banned for years in the United Kingdom (UK), European Union, Japan, Australia and most recently Canada. Exogenous melatonin is not outlawed by these countries but regarded as a medicine, available only by prescription.

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