Few travelers are immune to the effects of jet lag. Studies show that nearly two-thirds of all international travelers who cross time zones get symptoms of the mind-fuzzing, body-numbing blahs, according to Dr. Shantha Rajaratnam, a researcher at Australia’s Monash University School of Psychology. But there’s good news: Rajaratnam contends there’s a drug that could help flyers cope far better with the condition.
The jet lag drug — tasimelteon — is still in testing but just-released research indicates the new drug works “to effectively shift the rhythm of melatonin levels in the body,” says Rajaratnam.
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in your body that regulates your internal body clock. That ‘clock’ is controlled, to a degree, by daylight. Rajaratnam and colleagues at The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Harvard Medical School, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals researched the drug and its findings were just published in the medical journal, The Lancet.
Rajaratnam says tasimelteon, “has the potential to improve the quality and quantity of sleep for patients with transient insomnia caused by jet lag.” The drug would boost a person’s ability “to fall asleep and then stay asleep when bedtime [is] shifted by five hours.”
Traveler-speak: You can travel eastwards (often the worst way to head) and then, in effect, set your internal clock back five hours. On a 6 ½-hour transatlantic flight from New York to London, those hours that can make a huge difference.
There is one caveat: Although Monash University says the drug is in the “later stages” of trials, it’s still going to have to undergo “rigorous testing” before you can pop and pill and shift your clock.
In the meantime, here are some suggestions from Cheapflights.com to avoiding jet lag on international or transcontinental routes:
– Forget the alcohol and the caffeine – even when the drinks are on the house. Drink a lot of water and keep yourself hydrated.
– When you get to your destination, try and adapt the local time. You’ll reset your internal clock quicker and have an easier time adjusting to the new schedule.
Read more tips for avoiding jet lag, and don’t forgot to get some sleep!
©Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
