How frequent fliers are beating jet lag using apps like Timeshifter and StopJetLag

The Easter break offers a chance of escape for many Hongkongers, but that holiday joy often comes with a hidden tax: jet lag. Jet lag is the cognitive and physical misalignment that your brain and body experience when arriving in a new time zone. Known more formally as desynchronosis, it is more than a lack of sleep – it is a state of biological confusion. Los Angeles Times journalist Horace Sutton may have been the first person to use the term “jet lag”, in a piece he wrote in 1966. “If you’re going to be a member of the jet set and fly off to Kathmandu … you can count on contracting jet lag, debility not unakin to a hangover,” he wrote. Jet lag is not just a minor inconvenience. Severe circadian disruption has been shown in animal studies to increase susceptibility to cancer and brain tumours, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. “Jet lag disrupts every system in your body, cognitive functions, your metabolism, your reaction time, your immune system, your hormones,” says tech entrepreneur Mickey Beyer-Clausen, who co-founded the company behind the Timeshifter app designed to help people reduce their jet lag. Studies show that for every time zone crossed, you should expect one day of adjustment for your body. As it catches up, you may experience symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal issues to cognitive impairment, severe fatigue and trouble sleeping. Frequent flier Richard Hough, chairman and CEO of New York-based Silvercrest Asset Management, is all too familiar with the condition. For the CEO of a firm that manages assets worth about US$37 billion – including holdings in Microsoft and Google’s parent company, Alphabet – functioning at less than 100 per cent is not an option. Crossing multiple time zones to cities in Europe and beyond used to “knock him sideways for days”. When Silvercrest established a Singapore office, Hough’s travel ramped up to two long-haul flights a month. Travelling from New York to Singapore meant nearly 12 days of recovery. “I used to really suffer overwhelming fatigue. I would struggle to keep my eyes open for meetings,” he says. “This was despite following all the advice, such as eating meals according to the time zone of your destination as soon as you board your flight, or exercising outside when you arrive. But nothing made much difference.” Hacking the circadian clock In 2022, Hough faced a gruelling itinerary: flying between New York, California, Chicago, Alaska and Greenland within a single month. “It was summer, and it was a mix of business and pleasure travel, which just stacked up,” he says. Seeking a solution, he researched digital tools. While apps like StopJetLag and Uplift offer personalised advice, and others like Insight Timer and Calm focus on meditation and exercise, Hough chose Timeshifter. The company behind the app was co-founded by Beyer-Clausen; Jacob Ravn, a UX designer and art director; and Dr Steven Lockley, a Harvard-affiliated neuroscientist and authority on circadian rhythms who has helped Nasa astronauts, Formula One drivers and elite athletes optimise their performance by managing sleep-wake cycles. Rather than making sleep the priority, the app focuses on resetting the circadian rhythm using light and dark scenarios. It calculates a personal schedule based on your itinerary and whether you are a “night owl” or “early bird”. “Ever since that first successful experience, I follow every schedule to a tee,” Hough says. “Even if people think it is strange that I’m wearing dark sunglasses in a meeting, I don’t compromise at all.” Wearing dark sunglasses simulates “dark”, while the glow of an iPhone screen is enough to simulate “light”. The app also provides specific timing for having caffeine and melatonin. Speaking from New York after a whirlwind two-day trip to Singapore, Hough reported suffering “zero jet lag”. Supporting elite performance Hough says airline services often conflict with biological needs. “I have noticed the airlines usually do the opposite of the advice from the app: serving you food when the app tells you to sleep and turning the lights off when it is best to be awake,” Hough says. “I give the crew a heads up beforehand that I’ll have my meal later and not to disturb me, please.” He is not alone. Elite athletes including Olympic gold medallist alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and tennis star Sem Verbeek also use the app to safeguard their performance. The 2016 Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg is both a user and an investor. He credits the science with giving him “that little bit of extra capacity, brain power and energy left for the crucial moments. Anything extra you can bring to the table is going to help you in that moment – and I’m sure that’s part of why I won the world championship.” Human performance scientist Dr James Hewitt, who leans on science to help corporate leaders and elite athletes maximise their abilities, is another keen user. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr James Hewitt | Human Performance Scientist (@jamesphewitt) Out-of-date body in a digital world Beyer-Clausen’s interest in the field is personal. His mother was a Scandinavian Airlines flight attendant who took him everywhere as a child. “Flying was quite glamorous back then, but I still remember jet lag being a struggle for passengers and crew,” he says. Modern life is largely disconnected from circadian biology, he says. “We have the same circadian clocks we had 1,000 years ago, when we rose with the sun and slept after sunset. We haven’t evolved for today’s lifestyle – irregular sleep patterns, jet travel and artificial light at all hours.” The key, he says, is controlling the central circadian clock, which regulates the body’s systems. “If you can shift the circadian clock in your brain using light and dark cues, you influence everything downstream.” Ultimately, managing jet lag is about more than just arriving fresh for a meeting or a beach day – it is about long-term health. Studies support Beyer-Clausen’s conclusion: “If you can reduce circadian disruption … you are likely going to live longer.” The traveller’s toolkit Timeshifter lays claim to being the most downloaded jet lag app, with more than 1.5 million users, but other tools offer varied approaches to wellness on the go. It costs US$10 per travel plan or US$24.99 for an annual subscription. StopJetLag was developed in the 1980s. Unlike modern apps that are completely automated, StopJetLag relies on a proprietary system in which travel specialists often review the itineraries. It provides a comprehensive plan including tips on food, sleep and light. The cost per bespoke trip plan is US$85. Uplift uses a simple pressure-point method to help your body adjust to your new time zone, based on work by neuroscientist Dr Charles T Krebs. You input your trip details and the app calculates your personalised reset, with videos that show how and when to find pressure points for “precision nerve stimulation”. Try it for 30 days free, after which annual subscriptions cost US$25. Flykitt is quickly gaining traction. Its technology was initially developed for elite military personnel such as Navy Seals and fighter pilots who needed to be combat-ready upon landing. Since it was made commercially available in 2022, dozens of professional sports teams and Olympians have adopted it, as have many corporations. It combines circadian software with specialised supplements and blue-light-blocking glasses. The kit costs US$199 to US$279, including the app, supplements and glasses. Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.

How frequent fliers are beating jet lag using apps like Timeshifter and StopJetLag

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Flying across time zones disrupts your circadian rhythm, which affects functioning and even long-term health. But apps could help

Flying across time zones disrupts your circadian rhythm, which affects functioning and even long-term health. But apps could help