Alleviation of jet lag by melatonin: preliminary results of controlled double blind trial.

Abstract

Alleviation of jet lag by melatonin: preliminary results of controlled double blind trial Jet lag is an ill defined phenomenon resulting from rapid flight across several time zones.'It is considered to be due to desynchronisation of circadian rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle, with local time and to lack of sleep.' A means of rapidly resynchronising body rhythms to local time would benefit people who suffer badly from jet lag.Various remedies for alleviating jet lag have been proposed: manipulation of dietary intake and, more recently, appropriate exposure to'bright light have been used, though both are time consuming.2 3We previously suggested that melatonin, a methoxyindole secreted by the pineal gland, might be simpler and more effective in treating jet lag.4In view of its resynchronising properties in animals,5 its ability to transduce light-dark information, its hypnotic effects in man, and its low toxicity we examined whether it helped people adapt to new time zones.