Is Jet Lag Safe in Travellers?

Jet lag happens when your internal body clock is out of step with the local time after a journey across time zones. Your body may still signal that it is time to sleep, eat or be awake according to your departure location. Common effects include difficulty falling asleep, waking at an unusual time, daytime tiredness, reduced attention, headache, feeling generally unwell and changes in appetite or bowel habits.

These effects often settle as the sleep-wake rhythm adjusts to the new schedule. Young children, older adults, people who work shifts and travellers with sleep problems may find the adjustment harder. Jet lag can be more troublesome when tiredness makes driving, operating equipment or making important decisions unsafe.

Before and during the journey, rest when you can, drink water regularly and avoid relying on alcohol to make yourself sleepy. Once you arrive, use the local schedule for meals and sleep, spend time outdoors during the daytime and keep evening light low when you are preparing for bed. Gentle activity can help you stay alert, while a short nap may be preferable to sleeping for much of the day.

Allow yourself time to adjust before driving long distances or taking on tasks that need sustained concentration. If you are considering melatonin, sleeping tablets or another product, check with a pharmacist or clinician first; the right choice depends on your health, medicines, destination and timing.

Seek urgent medical help for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, fainting, sudden weakness, new confusion or a severe headache unlike your usual headaches. These symptoms should not be assumed to be jet lag.

Arrange medical advice if sleep disruption or daytime impairment is severe, does not begin to improve after returning to a normal routine, or is making travel and essential activities unsafe. Speak with a clinician before travelling if you have a condition affected by sleep loss, take regular medicines that must be timed carefully, or have previously had significant problems after crossing time zones.

Ask whether your regular medicines need a different schedule at your destination, whether a sleep aid is suitable for you, and which symptoms would need prompt assessment during the trip. Share your route, time-zone changes, planned activities and any history of sleep or mood difficulties so the advice can be tailored.