Jet lag treatment in London: how a private GP can help you beat it

You land in London for a week of meetings, or home from New York with Monday morning waiting, and your body clock is still on the wrong continent. Jet lag is not poor sleep or weakness: it is your circadian rhythm running on the old time zone, and a useful rule of thumb is that it takes about a day per time zone crossed to fully adjust. The good news is that adjustment can be deliberately accelerated. A private GP can build you a plan around light, timing and, where appropriate, prescription melatonin, which is not available over the counter in the UK. At The Online GP by The Wellness, you can arrange this before you fly or after you land, by phone, video or in person in Marylebone.

What jet lag actually is

Your body clock, run from a small cluster of cells in the brain, keeps time using light as its main cue. Flying across time zones moves the light cues faster than the clock can follow, so for days your body wants to sleep at midday and wake at 3am. Symptoms go beyond tiredness: poor concentration, low mood, irritability, digestive upset and heavy limbs are all part of the same mismatch. Eastward travel is generally harder than westward, because shortening your day is harder for the clock than lengthening it, and the more zones crossed, the longer the adjustment.

What the evidence says works

Light, deliberately timed. Light is the strongest signal for resetting the body clock, and timing is everything. Travelling east, morning light at your destination helps shift you earlier; travelling west, evening light helps shift you later. Getting this wrong pushes the clock the wrong way, which is why a plan tailored to your route matters.

Melatonin, where appropriate. A Cochrane review found melatonin, taken near the target bedtime at the destination, genuinely effective at reducing jet lag, with the clearest benefit on eastward trips crossing five or more time zones. In the UK, melatonin is a prescription-only medicine, which is where a private GP comes in: your doctor checks it is suitable and safe for you, prescribes it where appropriate, and tells you exactly when to take it, because the wrong timing can worsen jet lag rather than fix it.

Sleep and caffeine strategy. Short, well-timed naps and caffeine used for alertness in the destination morning both help, as long as neither eats into the new night. Sleeping tablets are generally not the answer for jet lag itself, and your doctor will be honest about that.

How a private GP can help

Jet lag planning is quick and genuinely useful for frequent travellers. Your doctor takes your route, direction, time zones crossed, trip length and schedule, checks your health and medicines, and gives you a written plan: when to seek and avoid light, when to sleep, when to use caffeine, and whether melatonin makes sense for this trip, prescribed electronically to your chosen pharmacy if so. For regular flyers the plan is refined trip by trip, and travel health can be covered in the same consultation, from vaccinations to malaria prevention. A phone consultation is £59 for 15 minutes, a video consultation is £150, and an in-person appointment at our Marylebone clinic is £220. Planning a trip? Message us on WhatsApp for a free triage and we will help you pick the right appointment.

A practical plan for your next long-haul trip

Before you fly. For eastward trips, start shifting bedtime and waking 30 to 60 minutes earlier for a few days before departure; for westward, shift later. Book the consultation before you travel so any prescription is ready.

On the flight. Set your watch to destination time when you board and act on it: eat, sleep and stay awake to the new schedule as far as the cabin allows. Hydrate, and go easy on alcohol, which fragments the sleep you do get.

On arrival. Follow the light plan for your direction of travel, keep naps short and early, and take melatonin at the planned time if prescribed. Most travellers crossing five to eight zones are meaningfully better within two to four days on a good plan.

What does private jet lag treatment cost?

With The Online GP by The Wellness, a phone consultation is £59 for 15 minutes, a video consultation is £150, and an in-person consultation is £220. Private walk-in clinics in London commonly charge £100 to £250 for a short appointment before prescriptions. You pay the pharmacy's normal price for any medicine prescribed.

Why choose The Online GP by The Wellness

Every consultation is with a UK-registered, GMC-registered doctor, not a questionnaire. Same-day appointments run seven days a week, including evenings, which suits travellers working around flights. Prescriptions go straight to your chosen pharmacy, and travel health sits under the same roof. You can also read about our doctor-led travel clinic, fitness-to-fly certificates, and evening and weekend appointments.

To plan your next trip, call 020 3951 3429, email team@thewellnesslondon.com or book an appointment online.

Frequently asked questions

Can a private GP prescribe melatonin for jet lag in the UK?

Yes. Melatonin is prescription-only in the UK, and a private GP can prescribe it for jet lag where it is suitable and safe for you, with the prescription sent electronically to a pharmacy you choose.

Does melatonin actually work for jet lag?

Yes, with an important caveat. A Cochrane review found melatonin genuinely effective for jet lag, especially on eastward trips crossing five or more time zones, but timing matters: taken at the wrong time it can shift your body clock the wrong way, which is why a tailored plan helps.

How long does jet lag last?

A common rule of thumb is about a day per time zone crossed, so a five-zone trip might take five days to fully settle untreated. Deliberate light timing, sleep strategy and melatonin where appropriate can shorten this considerably.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west?

East, for most people. Travelling east shortens your day, which the body clock finds harder to adapt to than the longer day of westward travel. Your light and sleep plan differs by direction, so a generic tip sheet is less useful than a plan for your route.

Can I get a jet lag plan before a business trip?

Yes, and that is the ideal time. A short consultation before departure maps your route and schedule, prescribes melatonin where appropriate, and gives you a written plan for light, sleep and caffeine timed to your flights.

How much does jet lag treatment cost at The Online GP by The Wellness?

A phone consultation is £59 for 15 minutes, a video consultation is £150 and an in-person appointment is £220. You pay the pharmacy's normal price for any prescribed medication.

This article is for information and does not replace personal medical advice. Written by The Wellness Team and medically reviewed by The Wellness Clinical Team. Last updated October 2026.