Jet Lag

Jet lag is tiredness caused by travel between time zones. It happens when the body does not have time to adjust its natural clock. Some people may also have insomnia, anxiety, confusion, and other health problems.

Jet lag will go away more quickly if you try to adjust to the new time zone. Some people turn to natural treatments to help ease symptoms.

Natural Therapies

Likely Effective

Melatonin is a hormone made by the body that helps regulate sleep. It is likely to ease symptoms of jet lag. ( Note : It should not be taken by people taking medicine for certain health problems, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and high blood pressure.)^A1-A3

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse. For example, melatonin should not be taken by people taking medicine for certain health problems, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and high blood pressure.

References►

Herbs and Supplements

A1. Tortorolo F, Farren F, et al. Is melatonin useful for jetlag? Medwave. 2015;15(1):e6343.

A2. Herxheimer A. Jet lag. BMJ Clin Evid. 2014 Apr 29;2014. pii: 2303.

A3. Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001520.

Other Therapies

B1. Bin YS, Postnova S, et al. What works for jetlag? A systematic review of non-pharmacological interventions. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Feb;43:47-59.

Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC Last Updated: 6/3/2020

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