As the demand for air transport continues to grow and long-distance flights become increasingly commonplace, travellers are looking to cutting-edge technology to help combat the sleep disruption, fatigue and poor concentration that often accompanies jet lag.
A recent study at Stanford University demonstrated how exposing a person to short flashes of light during sleep could be the secret to minimising these effects. Through manipulating levels of melatonin in the body, there was a significant speed-up in the process of the body adjusting to its rescheduled circadian rhythm. Using this principle, Neuroon is a wearable device that launched in December 2015, providing jet lag therapy for its user.
Through combining advanced brain wave and pulse measurement technology with a comfortable sleeping mask commonly used in air travel, Neuroon uses Bright Light Therapy to improve sleep efficiency, and most importantly to alleviate jet lag. Using built-in biometric sensors, the Neuroon system monitors the user’s sleep architecture, providing advanced sleep analysis, calculates a sleep efficiency score, and offers optimization advice. Of all the consumer-grade sleep trackers, Neuroon is the most sophisticated. It tracks light, deep, REM, and sleep interruptions, conveniently displaying the totals in a daily dashboard. Neuroon is comprised of three components: a comfortable mask made of soft, hypoallergenic material, the Smartpack, which contains the device’s sensors and electronics encased in medically certified silicone, and the Neuroon app that controls the mask wirelessly using Bluetooth.
Jet Lag Blocker is one of the main features of the Neuroon which helps combat the sleep problems associated with rapid time zone changes. After setting the travel destination in the mobile app, the mask automatically fine-tunes the appropriate light therapy during sleep (without interfering with it) and offers a number of recommendations to help the user optimize their circadian rhythm while traveling. For the best results users should start the therapy several days before traveling. By adjusting a person’s biorhythm before their travel, the Neuroon can effectively minimize the effects of a long-distance trip before they occur.
