Coping with jet lag

Jet lag can be a problem for travelers crossing several time zones. Although it is not a serious condition, jet lag can make it hard to enjoy a vacation for the first few days. If you are traveling for business and are required to start work immediately after arrival, jet lag can affect your overall mood and ability to concentrate as well as your physical and mental performance.

You should also be aware that adjusting to a new time zone may take several days. If you will be away for a short period, it may be better to stick to your original sleep and wake times as much as possible rather than adjusting too many times in rapid succession.

Eastward travel generally causes more severe jet lag than westward because traveling east requires you to shorten the day while your body clock can better adjust to a longer day than a shorter one. Fortunately for globetrotters, a few preventive measures and adjustments seem to help some people relieve jet lag, particularly when they are going to spend more than a few days at their destination:

Adjust your biological clock

During the two to three days before a long trip, get adequate sleep. You can make minor changes to your sleep schedule. For example, if traveling west, delay your bedtime and wake time progressively by 20- to 30-minute intervals. If you are traveling east, advance your wake time by 10 to 15 minutes daily for a few days and try to advance your bedtime. Decreasing light exposure at bedtime and increasing light exposure at wake time can help you make these adjustments. When you arrive at your destination, spend a lot of time outdoors so your body gets the light cues it needs to adjust to the new time zone. Take a couple of short 10 to 15-minute catnaps if you feel tired, but do not take long naps during the day.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Although it may be tempting to drink alcohol to relieve the stress of travel and make it easier to fall asleep, you’re more likely to sleep lighter and wake up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol wear off. Caffeine can help keep you awake longer, but it also can make it harder for you to fall asleep if its effects haven’t worn off by the time you are ready to go to bed. Therefore, it’s best to use caffeine only during the morning and not during the afternoon.

What about melatonin?

Your body produces this hormone that may cause some drowsiness and cues the brain and body that it is time to fall asleep. Melatonin builds up in your body during the early evening and into the first two hours of your sleep period, and its release stops in the middle of the night.

Melatonin is available as an over-the-counter supplement. Because melatonin is considered safe when used for days or weeks and seems to help people feel sleepy, it has been suggested as a treatment for jet lag. But melatonin’s effectiveness is controversial, and its safety when used over a prolonged period is unclear. Some studies find that taking melatonin supplements before bedtime for several days after arrival in a new time zone can make it easier to fall asleep at the proper time. Other studies find that melatonin does not help relieve jet lag.