Combating Jet Lag

 Jet lag results in a loss of well being caused by a lag between your body clock and the destination time zone clock. The resulting loss of synchrony upsets various biological processes particularly sleep. It is particularly noticeable with time zone changes of 5 or more hours whether east or west. Symptoms are worse in our winter months.

In practical terms, your body is expecting breakfast when everyone else is sitting down for dinner. A bout of jet lag will leave you tossing and turning at night, wide eyed and desperate for sleep, which then descends in the morning to spoil your plans for the day.

Under normal circumstances, your internal body clock can only reset itself by about 90 minutes per day after westward flight and 60 minutes per day after eastward flight. For example, correcting for 10 time zones takes 10 days after eastward flight and 7 days after westward flight.

 Symptoms include

  Jet Lag Do's and Don'ts

Following the advice above will help make your holiday the refreshing experience it should be.

 Melatonin

Melatonin used to be obtainable at health shops but that is no longer the case in the UK as it is now classed as a medicine. However, it is available in some overseas countries include USA and Barbados.

Melatonin is the principal hormone secreted by the pineal gland and its release follows your biological clock with high levels at night and low levels during the day. 10 out of 12 jet lag studies have shown improvement in sleep, daytime alertness and performance. However, the quality of these studies was mixed so new trial results are awaited. A study of Norwegian doctors published in 2001 showed absolutely no benefit when used after flights to and from New York.

The most effective time of administration and the most appropriate dosage are not yet known. However, most people take a dose of 3mg at bedtime. This may help to reset your body's clock but be warned that it can cause drowsiness the following day. People who are prone to depression or other psychological problems must not use it. Other adverse effects have not been assessed. Carefully read the leaflet in the pack and if there is no leaflet don't take it.

Clinical evidence March 2004

For Melatonin
One systematic review found that melatonin reduced mean jet lag scores on eastward and westward flights compared with placebo. The review found case reports of possible adverse effects, and suggests that people with epilepsy or on warfarin (or other oral anticoagulants) should not use melatonin without medical supervision. It concluded that the pharmacology and toxicology of melatonin needs systematic study, and routine pharmaceutical quality control of melatonin products is necessary. One RCT found no significant difference between melatonin plus zolpidem and placebo in alleviating symptoms of jet lag. http://www.clinicalevidence.com/ceweb/conditions/sld/2303/2303_I1.jsp

For Hypnotics
One RCT found no significant difference between zopiclone and placebo in subjective jet lag scores, but found that zopiclone increased sleep duration compared with placebo. One RCT found that zolpidem improved sleep quality compared with placebo. One RCT found that zolpidem was more effective in alleviating symptoms of jet lag compared with placebo, but found no significant difference between zolpidem plus melatonin and placebo. Adverse effects reported with hypnotics include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and amnesia. Short term benefits of hypnotics have to be considered in light of potential adverse effects. http://www.clinicalevidence.com/ceweb/conditions/sld/2303/2303_I2.jsp