Jet lag is considered to be a temporary sleep disorder. When travelers zoom across time zones, the circadian rhythm of the brain is disrupted by the new patterns of daylight, causing restless nights and sleepy days. The brain eventually adapts to the new environment within a week--usually just in time for the traveler to go back home and start the jet lag process again. Pre-trip preparation and sleep maintenance during the trip can lessen this debilitating effect.
Change Bedtime Before Traveling
The easiest sleep treatment for jet lag is to prevent it from occurring. By changing sleep schedules before the trip, the circadian rhythm can start the adjustment period early, drastically reducing the symptoms of jet lag. For instance, traveling east through three time zones means that bedtime will come three hours earlier. To prepare, go to bed an hour earlier for three nights before traveling. Make sure not to oversleep--wake up an hour earlier, too, or the effect will be canceled out.
Heavy Carbs for Napping
Princeton University recommends in its Traveler Tips to prepare for the journey by eating high-protein meals for breakfast and lunch and a high-carbohydrate meal for dinner. High-protein meals encourage wakefulness, but a carbohydrate-rich meal brings on sleep. These meals can strengthen the pre-travel change in circadian rhythms as well as help reinforce the new schedule while traveling.
Melatonin
Many grain products, including spaghetti, also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that indirectly increases melatonin levels in the brain. Melatonin has a direct effect on the sleep-wake cycle and has been used in folk medicine as a natural sleep aid for hundreds of years. A 2004 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report on sleep disorders states that melatonin does not seem to alleviate the broken sleep patterns of jet lag sufferers. However, taking this amino acid as a food supplement can alleviate daytime sleepiness and fatigue. The report also concluded that melatonin is a safe supplement to take in the short term, such a few days to a couple of weeks, but more research is needed on the side effects of long-term use.
Stay Hydrated
Some symptoms of jet lag (including irritability, headaches and problems sleeping) may be related to dehydration. Staying hydrated while traveling can be difficult because of the lack of services and, in some cases, security concerns. When traveling, people also tend to drink more coffee and alcoholic beverages, both of which act as weak diuretics that worsen dehydration. Eight cups a day is still the suggested daily dose of water for active adults, so remind yourself to drink more water, even if you are not feeling thirsty.
Bright Light Therapy
For constant travelers or those who suffer greatly from jet lag, bright light therapy can be an effective sleep remedy. This treatment, also known as phototherapy, helps the circadian rhythm reset through exposure to bright light for 30 to 45 minutes in the morning. Researchers from the University of Washington suggest that the treatment is most effective over a two-week period. Some medical providers have developed "jet lag kits" using this bright light technology that is easily transportable.
