What actually helps with jet lag
Body clock out of step after crossing time zones — studied separately from ordinary sleeplessness, and with a different answer.
Melatonin for Jet Lag
Mixed3 studies · 2 supporting · 1 against
8 safety notes
Melatonin is the hormone that signals biological night; taking it at the new destination's bedtime helps re-time the body's internal clock to the new time zone faster than it would re-align on its own.
Dose: 0.5–5 mg
Tested as: melatonin 0.5–5 mg taken close to the target bedtime at the destination (roughly 10pm–midnight local time), once daily for several days after arrival, on flights crossing 5 or more time zones — benefit is clearest for eastward travel and grows with more zones crossed, and is weaker for westward flights or short (2–4 zone) trips. Doses of 0.5 mg and 5 mg reduced jet-lag symptoms similarly; 5 mg produced somewhat faster sleep onset and better sleep quality than 0.5 mg, but doses above 5 mg showed no added benefit. A 2 mg slow-release form was less effective than an equivalent fast-release dose, suggesting a short, higher peak works better than a smoothed-out one.