Jet Lag
Tiredness, poor sleep, brain fog and a grumpy gut after crossing 3+ time zones: your body clock is still at home. Usually worse flying east. Settles by itself, about a day per time zone.
The jet lag ladder
Light is the main lever. Most people never need past step 3; medicines are for long eastward trips or when you must perform on arrival.
- Step 1 · Self-careShift your sleep before you goFor 2 to 3 days before leaving, go to bed and get up an hour earlier each day if flying east, or later if flying west.
- Works
- Not well tested in travellers; lab studies show it shifts your clock ahead of time
- Cost
- Free
- How long
- 2–3 days before departure
- Watch for
- Not worth it for trips of 2 days or less: staying on home time may be easier.
Cheaper than any “jet lag kit” sold at the airport.
- Step 2 · Self-careDaylight at the right timeThe strongest signal for resetting your body clock. Flew east? Get morning light. Flew west? Get afternoon and evening light.
- Works
- No good traveller trials, but light is the clock’s strongest reset signal in lab studies; the most useful single step
- Cost
- Free
- How long
- First few days at your destination
- Watch for
- Mistimed light can shift your clock the wrong way. Sunglasses help when you need to avoid it.
Your body clock runs on sunshine, not on willpower.
- Step 3 · Self-careCaffeine and smart napsCaffeine for daytime alertness; naps under 30 minutes; eat and sleep on local time.
- Works
- Small benefit for daytime alertness in trials; helps you function but doesn’t reset your clock
- Cost
- The price of a coffee
- How long
- First few days
- Watch for
- No caffeine in the 6 hours before bed. Alcohol worsens sleep quality, on the plane and after.
A three-hour “nap” at 3pm is just a second night with worse timing.
- Step 4 · PharmacyMelatoninA low dose (0.5 to 5 mg) at local bedtime for a few days. Adults can get immediate-release melatonin for jet lag from a pharmacist without a prescription in Australia.
- Works
- Reduced jet lag in 9 of 10 trials, with the biggest benefit flying east across 5 or more time zones
- Cost
- About $20–40 a pack, private script or pharmacist
- How long
- A few nights after arrival
- Watch for
- Drowsiness, headache. Don’t drive soon after a dose. Check interactions if you take blood thinners or epilepsy medicines.
Timing beats dose: more melatonin isn’t more reset.
- Step 5 · PrescriptionShort-acting sleeping tabletA doctor may suggest one for a few nights on arrival.
- Works
- Small trials show longer, better sleep on arrival; doesn’t reset your body clock
- Cost
- Private script, about $15–30
- How long
- 2–3 nights at most
- Watch for
- Next-day drowsiness and unsteadiness. Not with alcohol. Avoid on the plane: a deep sleep in a cramped seat raises clot risk.
Knocks out the night, not the jet lag.
Save your money
Popular, heavily marketed or often asked about, but the evidence is weak or says no.
- Homeopathic jet lag tabletsHomeopathy hasn’t beaten dummy treatment for any condition in reliable studies. Sugar pills with a boarding pass.
- “Feast and fast” anti-jet-lag dietsBuilt on small, older studies and hard to stick to. Eating on local time from the first meal is simpler and free.
- Light-therapy glasses and gadgetsThey can nudge the body clock in lab studies, but real-world jet lag trials are few and small. The sun does the same job for nothing.
- Sedating antihistamine sleep aidsNot properly tested for jet lag, and next-day grogginess feels suspiciously like jet lag.
- Alcohol to sleep on the planeKnocks you out, then wrecks sleep quality and dries you out. A nightcap at 35,000 feet is still a nightcap.
What you can do
- Set your watch to destination time when you board, and sleep or stay awake to match.
- Drink water and walk the aisle on long flights.
- On arrival, live on local time from the first meal.
- Avoid big decisions on day one. Ordering a third dessert counts.
See your GP if
- You take medicines at set times, such as insulin or the pill, and need a plan for time zones
- You’d like to discuss melatonin or sleeping tablets before you travel
- Sleep problems last more than 2 weeks after you return
See a doctor urgently for a painful, swollen calf, chest pain or sudden breathlessness after a long flight, as these can be signs of a blood clot. Call 000 if severe.
Common questions
How long does jet lag last?
Roughly a day for each time zone crossed, a little faster flying west. It settles on its own, and daylight at the right time speeds things up.
Does melatonin help jet lag?
It reduces jet lag in most trials, especially flying east across 5 or more time zones. A low dose (0.5 to 5 mg) at local bedtime for a few days is typical. In Australia, a pharmacist can supply immediate-release melatonin for jet lag to adults without a prescription.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west?
Usually east. After flying east, get morning daylight. After flying west, get afternoon and evening light.
What is the fastest way to get over jet lag?
Switch to local time straight away: eat, sleep and get daylight on the new schedule. After flying east, seek morning light; after flying west, seek afternoon and evening light. Short naps (under 30 minutes) and caffeine early in the day can help you get through.
How can I prevent jet lag?
In the few days before you fly, shift your sleep by about an hour a day towards the destination time. On the plane, set your watch to the new time, drink water, go easy on alcohol and sleep if it’s night where you’re going.
Do I need a prescription for melatonin in Australia?
Not always. Pharmacists can supply two types without a prescription: immediate-release melatonin in small packs for jet lag in adults (18 and over), and slow-release 2 mg tablets for people aged 55 and over with insomnia. Other uses need a prescription. Ask your pharmacist whether it suits you.
Helpful resources
- Smartraveller: Taking medicine overseasChecklist for travelling with medicines, including checking sleeping tablets are legal where you’re going. Free, Australian Government.
- NHS: Jet lagPractical tips for before, during and after the flight. Free, UK (more cautious about melatonin than we are).
Evidence and more information
- Healthdirect: Jet lag
- CDC Yellow Book: Jet lag disorder
- Healthdirect: Melatonin
- Cochrane review: Melatonin for jet lag
maladywise.com/jet-lag/