Jet Lag Treatment
Do I need jet lag treatment?
Jet lag is real physiology, not weakness — and how hard it hits depends on how many time zones you cross and in which direction. Here is who genuinely benefits.
| Traveller | Who should consider it | Doses & schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Advised Long-haul east — 5+ time zones | Flying east to Asia, Australia or New Zealand compresses your day and is the classic hard case — often several days of broken sleep and daytime fog. | A short tablet course timed to destination bedtime for the first nights. |
| Consider Short trips where every day counts | Business trips, weddings, sporting events: when you can’t afford two written-off days, resetting your clock quickly earns its keep. | Same short course, plus a light-exposure plan. |
| Consider Long-haul west | Westward travel stretches your day and is usually gentler — but crossings of 8+ zones (west-coast USA and beyond) can still bite. | Often light planning alone; tablets if sleep fragments. |
| Not usually needed 1–3 time zones | Europe and most of Africa from the UK barely shift your clock. A sensible first night is all most people need — plainly said. | No treatment needed. |
Prices are per tablet on the travel clinic price list — courses are short, typically a few nights.
What is jet lag?
Jet lag happens because your body clock — the internal rhythm that controls sleep, hormones, digestion and alertness — can only shift by about an hour a day on its own. Fly across several time zones and your clock arrives days behind your body, out of step with local daylight, meals and bedtimes.
The result is familiar: wide awake at 3am, exhausted at noon, poor concentration, low mood and an unsettled stomach. Eastward travel is harder than westward because it shortens your day — forcing sleep earlier than your clock wants — and symptoms scale with the number of zones crossed.
Treatment pairs two things: a plan for light, meals and caffeine that pushes your clock the right way, and — where appropriate — a short course of a prescription tablet based on the body’s own sleep hormone, taken at destination bedtime to anchor sleep while your clock catches up.
How jet lag tablets work
The tablets contain a regulated form of the sleep hormone your brain releases at night — taken at the right moment, they tell your body clock “this is bedtime now”.
| Who | Who should consider it | Doses & schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Adults crossing 3+ time zones | A short course taken at destination bedtime for the first few nights after arrival (and sometimes en route). | Typically 1 tablet per night for 2–5 nights. |
| Frequent flyers | Repeat courses can be planned around a heavy travel schedule at a single consultation. | Same schedule per trip. |
| Not suitable for everyone | Some conditions and medicines don’t mix with it — and timing matters as much as the tablet itself. | Checked at the consultation. |
Jet lag tablets are prescription-only in the UK: supply follows a pharmacist consultation, and a consultation may not always result in a supply. You’ll leave with a written light-and-sleep plan either way.
How our travel clinic works
Book online in 2 minutes
Choose a time that suits you — same-week appointments are usually available, and families can be seen together in one visit.
Personalised risk assessment
Your pharmacist reviews your itinerary, health history and previous vaccinations against current UK travel health guidance, and agrees a plan with you.
A plan timed to your flights
Bring your itinerary — your tablets and light-exposure plan are written against your actual departure, arrival and meeting times.
Where does jet lag bite hardest?
Any long-haul destination east of the UK is prime jet lag territory — and most of them have a full travel-health guide here:
Frequently asked questions
Is jet lag actually treatable?
Yes — meaningfully. A correctly timed course of the sleep-hormone tablet plus a light plan reliably shortens the adjustment period; most travellers reset in roughly half the time they’d take unaided.
How do the tablets work?
They contain a regulated form of melatonin-type sleep hormone the brain produces at dusk. Taken at your destination’s bedtime, they signal “night” to your body clock, anchoring sleep at the new local time while daylight does the rest.
Why is flying east worse than flying west?
Eastward travel shortens your day, forcing your body to sleep before it’s ready — much harder than staying up later, which is all westward travel asks. That’s why Asia and Australia trips hit harder than the Americas.
What can I do besides tablets?
Plenty: shift your sleep by an hour or two before departure, set your watch to destination time at take-off, chase morning light (east trips) or evening light (west trips), keep meals on local time, and go easy on alcohol and caffeine in flight. We put this in writing for your trip.
Can children use jet lag tablets?
They’re generally an adult treatment — for children the light-and-routine plan does the work. Ask at the consultation if you’re travelling as a family.
When should I book?
Once flights are confirmed — any time up to a few days before departure works, since the course starts around arrival.
Rated by 1,200+ patients of our Camberley pharmacy and clinics.
GPhC registered pharmacy 1105418 · Superintendent pharmacist Jirina Thielens (GPhC 2069634).
This guide follows UK national travel health guidance (TravelHealthPro / NHS) and was last reviewed in August 2026. Recommendations can change — your consultation always reflects the latest advice.
Land ready, not wrecked.
Jet lag consultations and prescription tablets at our Camberley travel clinic — timed to your exact flights.
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