Today we're posting live from a special #SleepRevolution JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas, along with special guests including experts in sleep and wellness. As part of this special event, passengers on the flight received numerous gadgets geared toward travel and sleep.
Add this to your wish list, in the "game-changing devices" category.
Any traveler who's familiar with jet lag -- or anyone familiar with energy lags in general -- needs to know about this tiny little light panel that can majorly wake up your day.
It's called the Philips goLITE Blue, and it uses blue light to adjust your body's energy levels, naturally.
So how does this thing work, exactly?
When we talk about sleep and energy, blue light is usually seen as the enemy. After all, research shows that blue light emitted from your phone and laptop suppresses the body's production of melatonin, a key ingredient in a good night's sleep.
What's more, using a phone or laptop before bed can make you feel tired and less alert the next day. And nobody wants that.
But when used strategically, blue light's energizing properties can rev your energy in a good way. The goLITE Blue panel, for example, is meant to be used during waking hours, to give your body a gentle boost with the energizing properties of blue light.
Blue light has a shorter wavelength than many other types of light, which induces biological effects like a warmer body temperature, increased heart rate, and reduced sleepiness, according to a 2010 report published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Study subject had quicker auditory reaction times and fewer lapses of attention when working under blue light than green.
Of course, you can have too much of a good thing, blue light included. The Philips goLITE Blue is meant to be used for just 15 to 45 minutes a day: Users should place it in their field of vision while working or hanging out to reap blue light's effects.
Those who've tried it say the goLITE makes them feel energized indeed, while staving off feelings known commonly as the "winter blues."
The goLITE retails for $199.99. It's worth testing on the well-known sleepyhead in your life.
The above story was created at 35,000 feet aboard a JetBlue flight chartered in partnership with HuffPost's #SleepRevolution College Tour. JetBlue is an official brand partner of the tour, which aims to provide students (and some lucky plane passengers) with products and demonstrations that can lead to better sleep.
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