Jet Lag: The Supplement Timing Table by Flight Direction

Jet lag is the one sleep problem where melatonin genuinely shines — because jet lag is a clock-timing problem, and melatonin is a clock signal, not a sedative. The catch: most people take the wrong dose at the wrong time. Here’s the table.

The timing table

Flight	Melatonin plan	Light plan
Eastbound (e.g., BD→US, EU→Asia… you lose hours)	0.5–1 mg at local bedtime, destination time, starting the evening before travel if possible; continue 3–4 evenings	Morning light at destination — critical; avoid evening light
Westbound (you gain hours)	Usually skip melatonin; you need to stay up, not sleep earlier	Evening light; morning darkness if waking too early
More than 8 zones crossed	Treat as eastbound for the first days, then adjust	Daylight discipline both ends

The 48-hour frequent-flyer protocol

1. Shift caffeine: morning-only at destination; none after local noon
2. Anchor meal times to the destination clock immediately — meals are secondary clock cues
3. First destination night: the low-dose melatonin above + blackout room; do not “just nap” through the local afternoon — a 90-minute nap max, before 3 p.m.
4. Days 2–3: morning light exposure, melatonin only if still drifting late

What doesn’t work

• High-dose melatonin (5–10 mg) for jet lag — more grogginess, zero extra clock-shift benefit
• “Jet lag pills” blends — usually melatonin + caffeine + vitamins priced like perfume
• Alcohol on the plane — the dehydration and rebound wakefulness cost more than any pill repays

Bottom line

Rule of thumb: east = melatonin at local bedtime + morning light; west = light and discipline, skip the pill. Small dose, right clock, and jet lag shrinks from a week of misery to a couple of groggy mornings. Related reading: shift workers’ melatonin protocol uses the same clock logic.