When to take melatonin to prevent jet lag

To effectively use melatonin for preventing jet lag, experts suggest timing its intake strategically depending on your travel direction and local time at your destination.

• East to West Travel: It's generally easier to adapt when traveling east to west. You might not need melatonin to stay up later, thanks to natural sleep drive adjustments 1.

• West to East Travel: This direction requires more adjustment as you have to adapt to sleeping earlier. Experts recommend taking a low dose of melatonin around six hours before your desired bedtime in the destination's local time. This can help cue your brain to start the sleep process earlier and align with the new time zone 2.

Overall, melatonin is more effective when used in low doses for circadian rhythm adjustment rather than as a strong sleep aid. It's suggested to take around 0.3 to 1 mg 3. Additionally, exposure to sunlight upon waking in the new time zone is crucial to help reset your internal clock 2.