Jet lag may soon be history.
A Scottish scientist has developed a system for coping with travel between time zones.
The technique, which utilises research into the effect of light exposure on a person's biological clock, advises passengers when to seek out light and when to pull the blinds to minimise the effects of jet lag.
Travelers can access an online 'jet-lag adviser' into which they enter their normal waking time at home and the time difference at their destination.
The adviser then tells them when to avoid, and when to seek light for the first two days of their trip and promises to accelerate jet-lag recovery by approximately three hours.
"Scientific evidence has shown that light is the number one factor for combating jet lag. Over the last ten years, we have discovered a nerve centre in the brain that is quite literally a biological clock," Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of Edinburgh Sleep Centre, who developed the formula for British Airways, was quoted by The Scotsman as saying.
"Light receptors in the eye have a direct channel to this nerve centre. Seeking out and avoiding light at the right times can greatly accelerate the resetting of the clock in a different time zone," Dr Idzikowski said.
Traditional wisdom for jet lag - to seek natural daylight - is often flawed. The body's biological clock resets best when exposed to light at certain times - not always during the day. For instance, the day after arriving in Tokyo, travelers should seek light between 5am and 7:30am, but then avoid light between 7:30am and 10am.
He said, "It is not very intuitive, but I assure you it is very scientific. An equation has been developed called the 'phase-response curve' that describes the biological clock's reaction to light.
"The body's clock can be speeded up and can be slowed down so that the biological clock eventually matches the timepiece in your hotel room."
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