Science & technology | Well informed

Does melatonin work for jet lag?

It can help. But it depends where you’re going

A person sleeping. The frame is split between night and day.
Illustration: Cristina Spanò

Drop into any pharmacy in America and you will find jars of melatonin promising to relieve you of dreaded jet lag. There are tablets, pink gummies, potent-looking capsules—whatever appeals. But all you want to know is: does it work?

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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Does melatonin work for jet lag?”

From the January 11th 2025 edition

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