Wellness apps for travel: managing sleep and relaxation

Timeshifter: the jet lag plan based on chronobiology

Timeshifter generates a personalized program of light exposure, sleep, caffeine, and melatonin based on data like age, sleep habits, and flight details, specifying exactly when to seek light and when to avoid it to realign your circadian rhythm. The app is free to download; the personalized plan for a single trip is paid (around 10 dollars), or included in an annual subscription, and is also offered by some airlines, including United Airlines, as a service to passengers on long-haul flights. For complementary remedies that don't involve an app, see also the guide to remedies against jet lag.

White noise, meditation, and hydration in the cabin

White noise apps or natural soundscape apps mask the constant engine noise and help you fall asleep more easily in a narrow seat, while guided meditation sessions downloaded in advance remain usable even without connection during the flight. Periodic reminders to drink water are useful because cabin humidity is much lower than on the ground, and the feeling of thirst often arrives later than actual dehydration.

Blue light and melatonin: using your screen wisely

Enabling the blue light filter on your smartphone in the evening hours of the flight—the Night Shift function on iPhone or night mode on Android—reduces exposure to light that slows the natural production of melatonin, making it easier to fall asleep at the correct time for the new time zone.

If your trip involves at least 3-4 hours of time zone difference, set up the Timeshifter plan (or an equivalent calendar of light exposure) 2-3 days before departure, not from the day of the flight: circadian adjustment takes more time than it seems.