How to help jet lag

Jet Lag, also called jet lag disorder, occurs when the body clock is out of step with the local day and night after travel across time zones. Difficulty Sleeping at the local bedtime, waking too early, daytime sleepiness, poor concentration, headache, appetite changes and irritability may follow. Travel direction, the number of time zones crossed, sleep loss and the timing of light all affect the adjustment.

Use the destination’s clock for sleep, meals and activity as soon as practical. Seek daylight at a useful local time, keep evening light low when preparing for sleep, and keep naps short enough not to disrupt the next night. Drink water, move gently after a long journey, and avoid alcohol close to sleep. Do not take melatonin or sleeping tablets casually: timing, interactions and health conditions matter. A Travel Health Consultation can help plan medication and light exposure before a complex trip.

Seek medical advice if sleep disruption or daytime sleepiness remains severe, affects driving or work, or continues after reasonable adjustment. Get urgent help for confusion, fainting, severe headache with neurological changes, chest pain or breathing difficulty. A clinician can consider another cause such as Insomnia when symptoms do not fit a travel-related pattern.

How should I time light exposure for this journey? Is any sleep medicine safe with my conditions and prescriptions? When should persistent symptoms be assessed as Insomnia?