Do you have to jet around the world a lot for work? Or have you treated yourself to a fantastic long-distance trip this time? Then you should consider a remedy for jet lag. With proper prevention, your body will cope much better with the time difference. Get your tips here!
Table of contents
- What is jet lag?
- What anti-jet lag products are available on the market?
- How does melatonin work and why is magnesium so important?
- Melatonin: Very well tolerated
- The different forms of melatonin
- Why should you take melatonin for jet lag?
- How is melatonin supplemented to combat jet lag?
- So you'll never have jet lag again
- Conclusion
- Sources
1. What is jet lag?
Jet lag is the tiredness that follows a flight across different time zones. Since the body follows a certain circadian rhythm, this disrupts your metabolism, making it difficult to return to normal in the days following the trip.
During the day, you're dead tired, unable to concentrate, and your memory fails you. At night, however, you simply can't fall asleep or keep waking up. For each time zone you travel through, you need a day to recover from the time change and get your metabolism back to "normal."
When traveling to other continents, this can take several days to over a week. Therefore, it makes sense to trick your body into preventing fatigue on any long-distance trip.
There are some easy hacks you can use to combat jet lag. Read more about them here. There are also a few tried-and-tested remedies you can take to combat jet lag.
2. What anti-jet lag products are available on the market?
There are two methods to combat jet lag with supplements:
- You take a medication that wakes you up when you are tired during the day.
- You need something to help you sleep when you can't get a wink of sleep at night.
A classic stimulant is, of course, caffeine . What a cup of coffee can't do, supplements with high doses of caffeine and vitamin B6, like AWAKE , can: They banish fatigue, allowing you to concentrate better and get the most out of yourself. This will even help you get through that business meeting right after you arrive.
To prevent your circadian rhythm from leaving you wide awake in bed at night, an extra dose of melatonin is the remedy for jet lag. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. When it gets dark, the body releases melatonin. When it gets light, production automatically decreases. You can learn more about the effects of melatonin below.
It's proven easier to stay awake during the day despite being tired. However, what you can't force is falling asleep. That's why most jet lag remedies aim to improve sleep quality.
By the way : Relying on pharmaceutical sleep aids to sleep during the flight is quite counterproductive. It will further disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it completely unfamiliar.
This can cause you to struggle with jet lag symptoms for much longer after landing. So, if you plan to sleep above the clouds, bring a sleep mask and earplugs.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : In our ANTI-JETLAG combo package, you get both. On the one hand, our SLEEP capsules with melatonin help you fall asleep faster, and on the other, you get AWAKE , with vitamins B6, B12, and caffeine.
3. How does melatonin work and why is magnesium so important?
To ensure you have a regular sleep-wake rhythm, various processes take place in your body. One important process is the production of the hormone melatonin. It is produced from serotonin in the pineal gland of the brain when it gets dark in the evening.
Feeling tired at nightfall is a completely normal process [1]. Between midnight and 2 a.m., melatonin levels reach their peak, and you enter the deep sleep phase. Learn more about melatonin in this melatonin guide.
In the early morning hours, melatonin production slows down again, waking you up as soon as the first rays of sunlight enter your room. The brighter it gets, the less of the sleep hormone is produced.
At the same time, the hormone cortisol begins to be released in the morning, which boosts your metabolism and puts your body into active mode. Cortisol levels peak at 7 a.m. and gradually decline throughout the day [2].
However, the mineral magnesium is also an important factor for healthy, restful sleep. Sleep problems can also be caused by a magnesium deficiency . Magnesium reduces the excitability of muscles and nerves and is therefore a crucial factor in relaxation [3].
That's why you should make sure you get enough magnesium on a long-haul flight. SLEEP Melatonin Capsules contain not only melatonin but also magnesium to help you fall asleep and relax. Learn more about why magnesium is so important here.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: Melatonin makes you tired, while magnesium relaxes your body. For a good, restful sleep despite jet lag, you need an optimal supply of both. Our SLEEP capsules provide you with both in the optimal ratio for rapid absorption and processing by your body.
4. Melatonin: very well tolerated
Occasional use of the hormone has no side effects. Only a sustained overdose can negatively impact the immune system. A definite advantage of this natural sleep aid over pharmaceutical sleep aids: There is no addiction or withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing the melatonin supplement.
Tolerability is also significantly higher, as demonstrated by a study by Katherine A. Lyseng-Williamson, which compared the tolerability profile of placebo and melatonin [4].
5. The different forms of melatonin
To counteract jet lag, melatonin tablets and capsules with a maximum dose of 1 mg are now available over the counter in Germany as a dietary supplement. Pure melatonin, however, as a medication for sleep disorders, remains prescription-only and is only available in pharmacies with a prescription.
In the USA, where melatonin tablets have been available over the counter for years, the recommendation is even up to 5 mg.
No-Jetlag tablets with melatonin are available in various dosage forms in pharmacies and from selected online retailers as part of dietary supplements:
- Melatonin capsules : Capsules enriched with the sleep hormone are particularly effective. The active ingredients in their pure form are easily absorbed by the body, and the desired effect occurs quickly. SLEEP Melatonin capsules contain 0.5 mg of melatonin per capsule, as well as magnesium and plant extracts from passionflower and lemon balm .
- Melatonin tablets : Jet lag tablets are very common. Lozenges allow the melatonin to penetrate the mucous membranes into the bloodstream more quickly than conventional tablets. However, in addition to the active ingredients, they also contain other additives, such as lactose. This makes them unsuitable for vegans, and intolerances are also possible.
- Melatonin drops or spray : Melatonin drops or melatonin spray (SLEEP SPRAY ) are still relatively new on the market. Their major advantage: They are characterized by high bioavailability, as they are absorbed directly through the mucous membranes and can release their 0.5 mg melatonin effect more quickly.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: Melatonin capsules or spray with 0.5 mg melatonin have high bioavailability and work quickly. Melatonin is available over the counter as an ingredient in dietary supplements. You can get both from us in the form of SLEEP capsules or SLEEP SPRAY .
6. Why should you take melatonin for jet lag?
The sophisticated interplay of the two opposing forces, melatonin and cortisol, follows the circadian cycle, your internal clock, which ticks on a 24-hour rhythm. It can't be changed overnight just because you've just jetted off to another continent.
But with melatonin supplementation, you can bring the internal hormonal chaos into a more regulated state during a long-distance trip. You'll get back to a normal day-night rhythm more quickly and won't be on edge for days after the long-haul flight.
Not only will you find it easier to get a restful sleep, but your recovery time will also be shortened : Instead of suffering from jet lag for several days, the typical symptoms usually disappear after just one day. This was found by a study by the UK Cochrane Centre in London [5].
The test subjects had particularly positive melatonin experiences after traveling through five or more time zones , but with a shorter time difference the effect is quite small.
For a long time, the effectiveness of melatonin against jet lag was considered controversial, but the hormone's positive effect has now been scientifically confirmed and recognized. Among other things, a study by the National Academy of Sciences [6] shows that melatonin contributes to alleviating the subjective sensation of jet lag and helps reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.
7. How is melatonin supplemented to combat jet lag?
Once you arrive at your destination, it's best to wait until evening before going to bed—even if you'd like to take a nap beforehand. Since your body clock is still fully set to daytime, this is when melatonin supplements come into play. Take your jet lag medication about an hour before bedtime so the melatonin can take effect.
But be careful: A lot doesn't necessarily help much! Even a particularly low dosage of the sleep hormone, less than 1 mg, can help you drift off to sleep faster. A study by Professor Richard Wurtman demonstrated that a low dosage of 0.3 to 1 mg was particularly beneficial for shortening the time it took to fall asleep [7]. Too high a dose, however, can have the exact opposite effect. Above 5 mg, the effect is no longer enhanced.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: On long-haul flights that cross more than five time zones, taking melatonin has been proven to be beneficial. Taken at the right time, the sleep hormone can help your body adjust more quickly to the new day-night rhythm.
Check out more jet lag hacks on our YouTube channel!
8. How to never have jet lag again | BRAINEFFECT
9. Conclusion
There are already a variety of products on the market that promise to significantly reduce the feeling of jet lag. Supplements containing the natural sleep hormone melatonin are particularly popular among frequent flyers.
Always make sure you take the correct melatonin dosage and work your way up to your individual level. Then nothing should stand in the way of your long-distance trip and your stay at your destination!
10. Sources
[1] Masters A, Pandi-Perumal SR, Seixas A, Giradin JL, McFarlane SI (2014) Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, NY, USA. Brain Disorder Therapy. Melatonin, the Hormone of Darkness: From Sleep Promotion to Ebola Treatment. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4334454/ ]
[2] Elder GJ, Ellis JG, Barcly NL, Wetherell MA (2016) Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, UK. BioMed Central. Assessing the daily stability of the cortisol awakening response in a controlled environment. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4730747/]
[3] Jahnen-Dechent W, Ketteler M (2012) RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. Clinical Kidney Journal. Magnesium basics. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455825/]
[4] Lyseng-Williamson KA (2012) Adis, Auckland, New Zealand. Drigs & Aging. Melatonin prolonged release: in the treatment of insomnia in patients aged ≥55 years. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23044640]
[5] Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ (2002) UK Cochrane Centre, London, UK. Cochrane Library. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12076414]
[6] Dollins A.B., Zhdanova I.V., Wurtman R.J., Lynch H.J., Deng M.H. (1994) Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, UK. National Academy of Sciences. Effect of inducing nocturnal serum melatonin concentrations in daytime on sleep, mood, body temperature, and performance. [http://www.pnas.org/content/91/5/1824.short]
[7] Thomson E.A (2005) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. MIT News. Rest easy: MIT study confirms melatonin's value as sleep aid. [http://news.mit.edu/2005/melatonin]
