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England’s lionesses have been photographed wearing special glasses that may be the key to beating jet lag.
The European champions embarked on a long-distance trip to Australia on Wednesday – just days before the highly anticipated Women’s World Cup in Sydney.
Keira Walsh, Ellie Roebuck and Georgia Stanway were seen showing off the sunglasses to avoid sleeping exhausted.
In a tweet, the Lionnesses wrote: “Time for the chrono goggles. Trying our best to beat the jet lag.’
The £255 ($325) glasses are made by Netherlands-based Propeaq, who claim they can keep the mind and body alert at the right time.
England’s lionesses were photographed wearing special sunglasses as they embarked on a trip to Australia. Pictured: players Keira Walsh, Ellie Roebuck and Georgia Stanway
The £255 ($325) glasses are made by Netherlands-based Propeaq, who claim they can keep the mind and body alert at the right time
‘Fatigue, drowsiness and inattention reduce performance during a business trip or spoil the fun on vacation,” Propeaq explains on his website.
‘Prepare your body for the other time zone by adjusting the biological clock to the right time.
‘This prevents both the unpleasant feeling of lead in the shoes and the frightening bags under the eyes.’
Jet lag – also known as circadian desynchrony – is a temporary state of sleep caused by a mismatch between the body clock and the external environment.
It usually occurs as a result of rapid air travel across multiple continents and time zones.
Propeaq’s goggles are intended to mitigate the effects of jet lag through the use of interchangeable lenses with blue and red filters.
Dr. Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert, claims that while this concept is far from new, it is based on scientific beliefs.
He told MailOnline: ‘Blue light tells us it’s daytime – the sky is blue.
In a tweet, the Lionnesses wrote: “Time for the chrono goggles. Trying our best to beat the jet lag’. In the photo: Georgia Stanway
Pictured: Bethany England of the Lionesses snaps a photo of her fellow footballers
These goggles are made by Netherlands-based Propeaq and are priced at €299, which equates to £255 / $325.39
“What tells us it’s time to sleep is the absence of blue light – think of any sunset – they are usually red or pink. The absence of blue tells us to go to sleep.’
Propeaq adds that the ‘active’ blue light inhibits the production of melatonin, also known as the night hormone.
Instead, it promotes the production of cortisol – the hormone known for stimulating action – which simulates the idea that it is daytime.
To use the glasses correctly, Propeaq advises wearers to use them together with the app.
Flight times and time zone information can be entered here so that Propeaq can best inform users when to change the lens colour.
“Your biological clock is tuned to sunrise and sunset,” Propeaq explains.
‘The clock can be moved, but that can be done for a maximum of 1.5 hours a day without being bothered by it.
“So if you shift six time zones by traveling, you need four days of adjustment. This can be done in the four days before the flight, but also, for example, two days before departure and two days after arrival.’
Despite these claims, filtered glasses and their effectiveness have long been a source of contention among sleep experts.
Dr. Stanley labeled blue light goggles a “waste of time” unless someone wore them under tightly controlled conditions.
Georgia Stanway imagined arriving in Australia after taking off the special glasses
He told MailOnline, “It’s not surprising that athletes are adopting this sort of thing. It’s all about performance and optimizing performance.
“But once you see the sun, it will totally negate what these will do.
“Sunlight is a million times more powerful than anything these glasses can do.
“Unless they wear the glasses all the time, it’s a waste of time.”
Dr. Stanley claims that any effect of these glasses will eventually reset the moment they are removed.
Even indoor lighting, getting into the shower or using a lighted mirror can be enough to act as a time signal.
To really tackle jet lag, Dr. Stanley suggests that travelers simply stay awake when it’s light and sleep when it’s dark in the destination country.
He also advised that eating at the new “right” times will keep you alert — even if it’s just a Mars bar and not a full meal.
Sending the lionesses to Australia two weeks before the competition would also have been a big help, says Dr Stanley.
After the long-haul flight to Australia, Georgia Stanway was one of many other players who didn’t wear glasses at all.
MailOnline has approached Propeaq and the football association for comment.