There are many things to love about business travel—discovering new cultures, sampling new foods and creating lasting friendships. Unfortunately, crossing time zones also comes with its drawbacks. Jet lag can lead to sleeplessness, fatigue and even gastrointestinal issues.
Jet lag is usually more pronounced when you fly east, in that flying from Canada to Europe is likely to leave you with a worse jet lag than a return trip, states the mastermind behind the health website SupplementNation.CA. “Since business travellers usually don’t have the luxury of taking a few days off to deal with jet lag, it’s important that they get over it quickly. This is where jet lag apps can help. Personally, I also recommend vitamins such as B and D to help you adjust to the new time zone.”
Ready to hear more about how technology can help you beat jet lag? Here are some of the best apps on the market to help you deal with this frustrating condition.
Timeshifter
Timeshifter uses information about you (age, gender, purpose of travel), your normal sleep pattern and upcoming trip to create a personalised travel plan to help adjust your circadian rhythm to the new location. The timeline tells you exactly when you should sleep, seek light, or avoid coffee. Timeshifter app also sends reminders to help you follow your pre-set schedule
Uplift
Just like many other jet lag apps, Uplift first asks you a number of basic questions about your trip, including departure and arrival times and destinations. On the basis of your answers, the app will give you short biorhythmic acupressure exercises to ease jet lag. The app features a handy instructional video.
Headspace
Many believe that meditation is the key to mental and physical well-being, so why not try a mediation app next time you are trying to beat jet lag. Headspace comes with hundreds of mediation sessions specifically tailored to a variety of situations. The app features meditations and meditation courses specifically designed for managing anxiety, sleep, business travel and fear of flying.
f.lux
While natural light can help you adjust your circadian rhythm once you reach your destination, artificial light can put your sleep pattern completely out of sync. Both laptops and smartphones emit a blue glow that can stop you from falling asleep. f.lux regulates the light emitted by your device so that it matches natural light. This means that the screen has a blue tinge during the day and turns more pink after dark.
Relax Melodies
Sleeping in a noisy environment, such as an airplane, can be tricky. Other distractions such as noisy patrons at a neighbouring bar or restaurant can also disrupt your sleep. And let’s face it, earplugs don’t always work. Not too worry because Relax Melodies generates white noise, or background noise, to help drown out any unpleasant distractions. The app comes with a huge variety of white noise categories such as nature, rain and cat purr.
