India, Aug. 5 -- Melatonin sleep supplements are often touted as a travel essential, said to ease jet lag, improve sleep on long-haul flights, and reset your body clock after crossing time zones. On Instagram Reels and Reddit threads alike, wellness influencers and frequent flyers swear by them, claiming it is the only way they can sleep through turbulence and wake up on local time.

The idea that this sleep hormone can solve a range of travel-related sleep issues hinges on the belief that supplementing melatonin helps regulate the body's natural circadian rhythm, especially when that rhythm is disrupted by air travel. But how true is that? And can popping a pill before takeoff really help you sleep better in the sky, or recover faster on...