Time control glasses can help combat sleep disorders, says inventor

Modern-day life means a growing number of people are suffering from sleep disorders that could lead to serious health problems. Among the main culprits are jet-lag due to international travel and night work.

At Australia’s Flinders University, sleep psychologist Leon Lack believes he has the answer.

It’s called the Re-Timer and looks like a funky pair of sunglasses. These “time control” spectacles emit a soft, blue-green light that stimulates the part of the brain responsible for our circadian rhythm, otherwise known as the body clock, tricking the body into being more alert when awake and sleeping more solidly at bedtime.

“It just occurred to us that light-emitting diodes, that are very small devices, very efficiently convert electricity into light and if they were mounted closer to the eyes, they would get enough light into the eyes and serve the purpose of the light therapy device. So basically, it brought the light source closer to the eyes and diminished the size of the li