Travel Clinic · Oxford

Jet Lag Tablets

in Oxford.

Tablets that help your body clock switch to local time after a long-haul flight, so you sleep at night and feel awake by day. A pharmacist checks your trip and your health first. Available at all four of our branches.

Most useful for:

● Asia

● Australia & NZ

● The Americas

● Long-haul work trips

+ any 5+ hour time difference

Quick online booking · No GP needed · Pay at your appointment

Price

£30

Consultation and tablets for one trip

✓ Up to 5 nights

✓ Pharmacist check first

How you take them

Land

First tablet at local bedtime, after dark

Repeat

Same time each night

Stop

When you sleep well, 5 nights at most

Opens in a new tab · Pay at your appointment

Bring your flight times. Tablets supplied on the day where stock permits.

Quick check

Do I need jet lag tablets?

Tap your trip to see what to expect.

Clinical brief · Jet lag

What the tablets do, and what they don’t.

They help your body clock switch to local time, so you fall asleep at the right time. They aren’t sleeping pills, and they work best alongside daylight and local mealtimes.

Who they’re for

Adults flying across several time zones, especially going east, which is harder than going west. Over 1 to 3 hours most people adjust without them. They help most with a time difference of 5 hours or more.

When you take them

One tablet at local bedtime after dark, starting on the day you travel. Never before 8pm or after 4am local time. Repeat each night until you sleep normally, for 5 nights at most. Taking them in the days before you fly doesn’t help.

Help your body clock

Switch to local time as soon as you board. After flying east, get morning daylight; after flying west, get evening light. Avoid long naps, alcohol, and caffeine after lunch. On a trip of 2 to 3 days, stay on home time instead.

Stay safe

They can make you drowsy for several hours, so don’t drive or use machinery if you feel sleepy. Don’t drink alcohol with them, and leave 2 hours between a tablet and a meal.

Know the signs

Symptoms of jet lag.

It starts a day or two after a long flight and lasts about a day for each hour of time difference. It’s usually worse after flying east. Tap a card for what helps.

Trouble sleeping

Awake at night, sleepy by day.

Trouble sleeping

Go to bed at local time in a dark room. This is where the tablets help most.

Daytime tiredness

Hard to stay awake.

Daytime tiredness

Get outside in daylight and keep moving. Keep naps short, under 30 minutes.

Foggy head

Poor focus and memory.

Foggy head

Plan important meetings for later in the trip if you can.

Upset stomach

Poor appetite or indigestion.

Upset stomach

Eat light meals at local mealtimes and drink plenty of water.

Too drowsy to drive

Heavy or slow next day.

Don’t drive yet

Wait until you feel fully alert before driving or using machinery.

Low or on edge

Irritable, anxious or flat.

Talk to someone

It usually lifts as you adjust. If it doesn’t, speak to a doctor.

Not getting better

Still struggling after 2 weeks.

See your GP

Something else may be affecting your sleep, so get it checked.

Before you book

Is it right for you?

Suitable if…

Not suitable if…

You’re flying across 2 or more time zones

You’re pregnant, breastfeeding or could become pregnant

You’re not being treated for a sleep problem

You take the combined pill, HRT or warfarin

You struggle with jet lag on long trips

You have epilepsy or have had a seizure

You’re 18 or over

You have kidney, liver or autoimmune disease

For adults 18 and over. If you could become pregnant, you need contraception other than the combined pill. Some medicines don’t mix with these tablets, so tell your pharmacist everything you take. They decide on the day whether the tablets are right for you.

Jet lag FAQ