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Preliminary studies have shown that the pineal hormone melatonin may be useful in alleviating the effects of jet lag, perhaps by synchronizing several of the body's circadian rhythms. Petrie and colleagues conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of melatonin in 20 volunteers. Subjects flew from Auckland to London through 12 time zones over 26 hours, then flew back to Auckland. They received either placebo or 5 mg of melatonin three days before flying, during flight, and three days afterward. The authors measured subjects' feelings of jet lag and tiredness, mood states, and sleep patterns before and after both flights.
As compared with those taking placebo, subjects taking melatonin reported significantly less jet lag and…