Jet Lag

Air travel can be relaxing and uneventful, but most of us end up feeling the effects of crossing numerous time zones as our body clocks attempt to adjust to the local time.

Is Jet Lag Simply a Lack of Sleep?

Jet lag is essentially the disorientation that your body experiences when you fly east to west, or west to east, across time zones. Extra sleep may help, but adjusting as quickly as possible to the local time is the best way to reduce fatigue.

Overcoming Jet Lag

Your efforts to combat jet lag should start while you''re still flying.

• Since flying is very dehydrating, drink plenty of water or fruit juice. Avoid alcohol or caffeine.
• Set your watch to the local time of your destination and start thinking in terms of destination time.
• Try to sleep on the airplane, but only if that''s what you''d be doing in the time zone where you''re heading.
• Try your best to follow local time. Don''t flop into bed and sleep for hours. Fight it and stay up until it''s time to go to sleep in your local time zone.

The point is to immerse yourself as quickly and thoroughly as possible in activities that you would be doing in that local time. The faster you think and act in local time, the faster you''ll adjust and shed the disorientation of jet lag.

Does Everybody Suffer from Jet Lag?

Ironically, the answer is no. Some people suffer a great deal from jet lag while others seem to adjust to their new time zone with instant ease.

If you want to be sure to avoid jet lag, fly a long distance from north to south (or vice versa) to avoid traversing any time zones at all. Your body might be tired from the flight, but you won''t feel the disorientation of jet lag.