Airline trials revolutionary new jetlag headset Exhausted: Jet lag can be a debilitating physiological condition The Valkee headset emanat...

Airline trials revolutionary new jetlag headset

Exhausted: Jet lag can be a debilitating physiological condition

The Valkee headset emanates a bright light into the brain via the ear canal

The travel problem of jet-lag could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a revolutionary new headset that is being trialled by the airline Finnair.

The Valkee bright light headset will be launched at the end of this month in an attempt to make long-haul flights less exhausting.

Finnair vice president Jarkko Konttinen says the introduction of the headset will be an 'interesting and beneficial experience' for air travellers.

According to the carrier, the headset works by emanating a bright light into the brain via the ear canal, thereby stimulating passengers and helping them to adapt better to jet lag.

Jet lag is is a physiological condition mainly caused by the brain’s inability to adjust to the change in time zone while travelling on long distance flights.

While jet lag affects people differently, symptoms include headaches, daytime fatigue coupled with irregular sleep patterns, and stomach troubles.

'The bright light headset simulates the effects of daylight by channelling bright light through the ear canal to very close proximity of the tissue in need of treatment, in the brain,' the airline says in a statement.

Harvard sleep physician Lawrence Epstein says bright sunlight or blue light delivered at the right time - early in the day if you've travelled east and later in the afternoon if you've travelled west - can quicken adaptation.

'Finnair is an innovative airline and we actively look for new ways to improve the wellbeing and comfort of our passengers,' Mr Konttinen said.

The trial will begin in Finnair’s business class section on flights between Helsinki and Shanghai from the end of March to the end of April.

If the headset proves a success the device could be made widely available.

The headset is the latest in a long line of products aimed at tackling jetlag, including eyemasks and visors, sprays, pills and electrotherapy devices.