The Common Supplement That Could Help You Avoid Jet Lag On Your Next Flight

Do a quick internet search for "supplements for jet lag," and you'll be met with enough options to warrant buying an extra suitcase. But do any of them actually work to combat those first groggy days of vacation? There are certainly a lot of options out there, even when it comes to eating certain snacks to reduce jet lag. However, the supplement with the best evidence behind it in terms of reducing jet lag is melatonin. You've probably heard of melatonin before, but do you know how to use it effectively to beat this dreaded travel side effect? 

Jet lag happens when your internal body clock is out of sync with your destination's time zone. Melatonin is produced naturally by your body and it could be the key to resetting that clock. Levels of melatonin rise in the evening and fall during the day, mainly in response to the amount of light we're exposed to. When it's dark, our bodies make more melatonin, helping lull us into sleep. Taking melatonin may help your body shift its clock to a new time, stopping the daytime sleepiness and nighttime wakefulness associated with jet lag.

Before trying melatonin, always consult your healthcare provider. Once you get the go-ahead, you may want to start with as low a dose as possible — studies have shown that just 0.5mg can be effective (via Mayo Clinic). Since melatonin can cause side effects like headaches, tiredness, and nausea, it's a good idea to try it for the first time at home.

There is no standard agreement about when it's best to take melatonin. A common approach is to take it up to two hours before your planned bedtime when you get to your destination, and this is probably a good rule of thumb when going east. When heading west, however, others recommend taking it in the morning. There's also debate about whether to begin before or on the first day of your trip, so you'll need to experiment to find what works for you.

But the most important question is, "does melatonin cure jet lag?" Sadly, the answer isn't really clear. It might, but it might not, so it's not a silver bullet by any means. So what can you do? There are heaps of simple tricks to beat jet lag that you can try. One of the easiest is to help your body produce its own melatonin naturally by timing your light exposure carefully. Get outside and soak up the sun during daylight hours, and then cozy up somewhere dark when night falls. If you're looking for a more fun method, check out Rick Steves' favorite way to beat jet lag when in Italy.