Travel Tips
Jet lag cures
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
For many travelers, the real turbulence begins after a flight. Crossing time zones disrupts your body clock and can lead to sleepy days, sleepless nights and malaise. But scientists are learning why plane travel throws your body into a tailspin and how to prevent jet lag: Get plenty of sleep before your trip and drink water - not alcohol - on the plane. How to fight jet lag once it hits? Here are possible remedies.
| How It Works | What the Experts Say | |
| Bright light | Exposure to light at the right time may resynchronize your body clock. In general, you should try to stay awake while the sun is out, sleep after it sets. | Effective. This is one of the best (and cheapest) methods of reducing jet lag, though correctly timing your exposure to light can be tricky. |
| Melatonin | Melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, can be taken in tablet or liquid form and may signal your body that night has fallen. | Controversial. Melatonin (which isn't evaluated for safety and efficacy by the FDA) works for people at different doses. It can actually exacerbate jet lag if taken at the wrong time. |
| StopJetLag personalized plan | Using information about you and your flight schedule, StopJetLag (www.stopjetlag.com) tailors instructions so you can time light exposure and melatonin intake. Included are tips for a schedule and meals. | Promising. As scientists learn more about the body clock, they hope to publish research that will let you look up a trip and get directions to avoid jet lag. Meanwhile, StopJetLag does something similar for a $25 fee. |
| No-Jet-Lag tablets | The tablets, which contain leopard's bane, daisy, and chamomile, are supposed to alleviate stress and fatigue caused by body clock disruptions. | Unproven. There's little evidence to support the claims, although the product is sold around the world and is popular with travelers. |
| Sleeping pills | Ambien, Sonata, and other pills that don't cause daytime drowsiness may help you get a good nights sleep if you have trouble adjusting to the new time zones. | Helpful as a last resort. If you suffer from disabling jet lag when traveling and are planning a long trip, you might consider asking your doctor for a prescription. |
