Can Boeings changes to cabin light reduce jet lag?
Light has an impact on jet lag in at least two distinct ways. First, it is a type of signal, known technically as a zeitgeber. Zeitgebers help keep the body clock on track, and help it adapt to a new time zone. Such signals include: the time shown on your watch, meal times, bedtimes, light, dark, and all of the clues and cues around you that tell you what time it is supposed to be. But light also affects the production of the hormone melatonin, the body’s own internal regulator of its daily cycle. Manipulating light exposure can help double the speed of adaptation to a new time zone. The formula for doing this is complicated, but a simple calculator to help do this can be found at www.fleetstreetclinic.com/jetlag. What other methods can be recommended for overcoming jet lag? Melatonin (not available in the UK) and timed exposure to bright light are the only methods scientifically proven to speed up recovery from jet lag, but other approaches can certainly help reduce fatigue and reliev
