Jet lag hits harder as we age, but Aussie sleep scientists have built an app to fix it
Sleep scientists at Flinders University have developed a mobile app called 'The Jetlag Fix' to help older travelers manage circadian rhythm disruptions. The app provides personalized schedules for light exposure and sleep to mitigate the effects of long-haul travel.
Why it matters
As the global population ages, travel-related health solutions are becoming increasingly relevant for maintaining quality of life and mobility.
If you’ve noticed that it takes longer to bounce back from a long-haul trip than it used to, it’s not your imagination. Jet lag tends to hit older travellers harder, and for Australians, whose dream holidays usually start with a 20-hour flight, that can mean losing several days of a trip to foggy heads and 3am wake-ups.
Now sleep experts at Flinders University in Adelaide have put decades of body clock research into a travel app they say can help travellers adapt to a new time zone much sooner.
As we get older, our internal body clock becomes less flexible . Melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, is produced in smaller amounts, and sleep tends to become lighter and more broken even at home.
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