Declaring jet lag “fundamentally a math problem,” researchers at the University of Michigan say they have devised a mobile app to overcome it.
The resulting iPhone app is called Entrain—named after the scientific word for recovery from jet lag—and operates on the premise that natural light is the body’s strongest signal controlling circadian rhythms. Entrain is designed for travelers, night-shift workers and anyone else whose circadian rhythms have been thrown out of whack.
The “body hack” app provides users with schedules of light and darkness, including a block of time to be spent in the brightest possible light and another to be spent in the dark. The app is said to be the first to use a numbers-based approach to the process of adjusting to new time zones.
Jet lag symptoms vary widely, but they tend to involve sleep disturbance, fatigue, headaches and lack of concentration. While its symptoms are relatively minor, scientists say that those who regularly suffer jet lag are at a higher risk for cancer, depression and diabetes, among other disorders.
sources: Newsweek, Yahoo, umich.edu