Melatonin and Jet Lag

Learn about Schedule and Dosage for Children and Adults.

Melatonin and Jet lag is becoming rampant as newer studies are beginning to show how melatonin can be used to manage Jet Lag Syndrome.

Imagine you go to the clinic and your doctor tells you that you are suffering from “desynchronosis”, I’m sure you’ll go bananas but not worry it’s just a big word for JET LAG.

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Jet Lag occurs when you travel for long distances across different times zones let’s say from east to west /west to east. When traveling between time zones your body clock which tells you when to eat, sleep and do other things is altered. It makes you believe that your internal timing hasn’t changed when in reality you are in a different time zone.

You would mostly experience Jet Lag when you travel trans-meridian(east-west). Jet lag gives your brain the impression that it is time to go work when it is actually time to sleep.

Different people have different symptoms but the most common symptoms are grogginess, digestive problems, headaches, irregular sleep patterns, and temporary insomnia to mention just a few.

Melatonin and Jet Lag Treatment.

Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body and is secreted by the pineal gland located at the back of your brain. It is released at night to help regulate when you sleep and wake up.
The melatonin hormone is used to control your body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a 24hour clock that helps you adapt to your environments and also prepare you for environment change.

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Melatonin helps your body to measure this 24-hour cycle. Melatonin is relatively low in your body system during daytime since it is triggered by dim light or darkness and it can be measured in the saliva and even your first urine of the day!

Like I stated above, the idea of Melatonin and Jet Lag Treatment is fast gaining grounds and reports from studies are beginning to tag melatonin and Jet Lag. Some Medical Professionals have even dubbed melatonin supplements as the "miracle cure" for Jet Lag.

A study on Melatonin and Jet Lag is being conducted to help people manage Jet Lag. After all we must travel either on business or pleasure.

A recent study was conducted on a group of individuals who traveled regularly between Australasia and the United Kingdom. Half of them were administered Melatonin before departure and after arrival and the other half the group were given another type of sleep enhancer. The results showed that members of the group given melatonin regained their normal sleeping pattern in about half the time taken by those given the sleep enhancer.

Another indigenous study showed that a group of travellers were given melatonin for three days prior to leaving the east and again for three days after arrival in the west. They all reported their experiences involving much lower levels of exhaustion and found that their normal sleeping pattern returned quite quickly.

Taking melatonin to combat Jet Lag is proving to be the safest way to handle the “curse” of traveling between time zones. Take the right melatonin dosage to avoid the side effects of taking melatonin before you travel and probably when you are in the air. This is to help you sleep at the normal bed time of the local time of where you are headed.

Conclusion.
I advise that if you are flying from the west to the east, you should take a dose as prescribed in the evening. On the day you arrive take it again and continue for 2-3 more days at the bedtime of the local time.

If you are still traveling eastward, take another prescribed dose by evening but not before going to bed. You should also take it for 2-3 days after you arrive at your new destination at bedtime.

If you are traveling to the west take the prescribed dose of melatonin at bedtime when you arrive at your new local time and continue it for 2-3 days.
If you find your self awakened try increasing your melatonin dosage to 2 and you should be fine by morning. If you are still going further down the west coast all you have to do is just repeat the procedure and everything should be normal.