How Melatonin Affects Jet Lag

Katie Couric and Sarah Spagnolo from Travel+Leisure discuss the major jet influences addressed by StopJetLag

Courtesy of Katie - katie's Travel Toolkit

"StopJetLag.com will actually create a custom plan just for you.

They'll take into account your exact itinerary and recommend things like

when you should be waking up,

when you should be going to sleep,

what you should be eating, drinking,

when you should be opening your windows,

when you should be exposing yourself to sunlight,

when you should eat."

"All of these things really do make a difference. So this is a big issue and something that StopJetLag is a great resource for."
Sarah Spagnolo from Travel+Leisure

Jet Lag Prevention With Melatonin Supplements

The effects of melatonin supplements for preventing jet lag have been well researched.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ Your StopJetLag Plan will apply this research using your personal profile and flight schedule that you provide us with to furnish you with the correct time for you to use optional melatonin supplements.

Correctly timed
melatonin supplements
help prevent jet lag

Melatonin is a substance naturally produced by the pineal gland. It is a synthesis of two compounds, tryptophan (an amino acid) and serotonin (a neurotransmitter) and is central to your body's preparedness for sleep. Thus, melatonin is another powerful influence on your body clock and the recommendations for the use of melatonin supplements in your StopJetLag Plan are based on the latest research of Dr. Alfred Lewy and reviewed by Dr. Charles Ehret. Although the proper types and timing of meals helps your body produce melatonin naturally and at precisely correct times, the addition of melatonin pills can enhance this effect.

Melatonin Timing - Conflicts your jet lag travel specialist looks for:

Flight departures and arrivals

Your StopJetLag travel specialist reviews and resolves the recommended times for using melatonin in relationship to your flight departures and arrivals before sending your StopJetLag advice.

Flight departures - After determining the best time to start sleeping on destination time, your travel specialist will review when to take melatonin so that you do not miss your flight because you fell asleep.
Flight arrivals - Melatonin is not recommended too close to your flight arrivals. Being alert after your arrival takes precedence over using melatonin supplements.
Transport time to and from the airport - Your travel specialist will give priority to being alert during your transit times and adjust your melatonin recommendations accordingly.

Melatonin Supplements: Rules for Use...

The timing for using melatonin is based on both your personal profile and the flight times in your itinerary. At the recommended times for melatonin on your StopJetLag Plan, take a 3 to 5 mg melatonin pill. It is also recommended that you take this same amount of melatonin at precisely correct times for no more than 2 days following the change to a new time zone. Thereafter, its' routine use is not recommended as long as proper meal and sleep regimens are maintained.

Since the use of melatonin supplements is optional, you should consult your physician before using melatonin supplements if you have an auto-immune condition, depressive disorder or are a pregnant/nursing woman. Not for use by children under 12 years of age.

⁽¹⁾ Arendt J, Aldhous M, Marks V. Alleviation of jet lag by melatonin: preliminary results of controlled double blind trial. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986;292:1170

⁽²⁾ Lewy AJ, Bauer VK, Ahmed S, et al. The human phase response curve (PRC) to melatonin is about 12 hours out of phase with the PRC to light. Chronobiol Int 1998;15:71–83.