You can now use "time-shifting" apps to beat jet lag

It is the bane of travellers everywhere. You don't want to miss a moment of your holiday, but after 20 hours on a flight, you feel as though you've been crash tackled. Jet lag begins taking effect as soon as you cross three time zones. To put that in perspective, a flight between Sydney and London will cross about nine depending on the time of year and route. But just what is jet lag and is there a magic remedy?

Sleep researcher Dr Yu Sun Bin from the University of Sydney explains our circadian system has evolved to anticipate what will happen during a 24-hour cycle.

"It follows cues from the environment to let the body know what time it is," she says. "When the sun sets, melatonin, the sleeping hormone, starts to rise. When we settle into a different time zone, all those cues from the environment are changed. Our circadian clock is completely different and out of whack with the time at the local destination."

For most of us that will manifest as feeling foggy or waking at 2am ready to start the day. For others, it can cause issues with appetite and irritability.

Usually, we're told to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, eat well and get some exercise, but there are other ways frequent travellers minimise jet lag's effects. All of them are aimed at setting our circadian system to the new time zone.

"Researchers have developed tools, like online calculators, to help you schedule sleep, light exposure and caffeine," says Dr Bin. "But it seems very few people use them." Those who do are big fans. "There's this great Timeshifter app that helps you adjust to a new time zone three days before you go," says Neil Jacobs, CEO of luxury hotel company Six Senses. "It tells you when to sleep, nap, use or avoid light and more, to gradually shift your circadian rhythm."

Another fan of Timeshifter is Radek Sali, chairman of personal wellness brand Wanderlust. With a long history of working with supplements, he always has some on hand for use during and after a flight to help make the adjustments suggested by the app.

"I will always have something that supports my immune system and something to help me relax and fall asleep," he explains. He suggests Wanderlust's Chamomile cold-pressed plant extract a couple of hours before sleep. Then, just before, either Wanderlust Sleep Botanicals or Valerian liquids. "When jet lag sets in during the day, I use a combination of sunlight and Wanderlust's liquid Siberian Ginseng to give me an instant energy hit," he says.

Everyone agrees sunlight and movement are important to help the body get back in step. And while that might be OK if you're landing at 3pm in the afternoon and only need to stay awake for six hours or so, those flights that dump us in Europe or the USA at 6am can be extremely challenging.

The trick, says David Goldman, joint managing director of Goldman Travel, is to have something planned. "If I'm on my own I might do a city tour or maybe one of those hop-on-hop-off buses," he says. "Otherwise, I'll organise to meet someone and get some kind of mental stimulation that way. Maybe we'll have an afternoon activity locked in or an early dinner." He also makes a point of booking flights on newer aircraft whenever he can to take advantage of the improvements in air quality and lighting.

If you're Gwyneth Paltrow, you will have organised an infrared sauna session. She says it helps her "sweat out the plane", but research also suggests the increase in temperature can begin melatonin release. If you're ready to try it, it's probably better to go late in the day to take advantage of the influx of sleep hormone.

Another cure for jet lag appears to be artificial light. After 25 years of research into sleep and sleep disorders, clinical psychologists Dr Leon Lack and Dr Helen Wright from Adelaide's Flinders University developed a wearable light that can reprogram the body's circadian systems. Set into a frame similar to glasses and sold as the Re-Timer, it uses light to signal to the brain to be awake and alert. After wearing the glasses for 60 minutes each day before, during and after a flight, travellers, including the Socceroos, have reported excellent results.

A similar option is the Lumos Sleep Mask, created using research from Stanford University, that uses light therapy while you sleep to adjust to a new time zone. The relative expense of these solutions - the Re-Timer costs $289, while the Lumos Sleep Mask costs US$199 ($298) to buy and US$99 each year for the necessary app - is, however, a barrier for many people.

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If you've got kids, no amount of expensive masks or attempts to adjust sleep schedules will work. For PR consultant Ingrid Huitema, who travels with her young sons aged 11 and nine, and husband Paul, smooth re-entry into home life is achieved with a well-timed break. "We have recently inserted an overnight stopover close to the Aussie time zone on the return trip," she says. "We did one overnight stop in Manila, another in Bali and another in Auckland. It made a huge difference."

She suggests choosing an airport hotel to avoid transfer snafus, as well as one with interconnecting rooms, so everyone has some space, and good facilities for kids: a pool, games room and on-site restaurant or one within walking.

"We have another two-hour drive home from Melbourne Airport to home after we land and there's nothing worse than being shattered doing that drive," says Huitema. "This way we get home refreshed and ready for school the next day, making the most of our holiday time."

Five best ways to beat jet lag.

1. Begin using a jet lag app (Timeshifter or Jet Lag Rooster) in the days before and after a flight.

2. Use a natural sleep remedy, a sleep mask and ear plugs to help you fall asleep at the right time for your destination on the flight.

3. If your flight lands during the day, go for a walk in the sunshine.

4. Try exercising - a walk, some laps in the hotel pool, yoga - on arrival, no matter the time.

5. If your flight lands early in the day, organise an activity or tour so you're not tempted to have a nap.