jetlag is for wimps

Okay, not really. I used to think that people who had severe jetlag were just being wimpy, but since then I've decided that there are several factors that contribute to jetlag, and some of them are not controllable. Still, I do think there are things that can be done to reduce the effects of jetlag.

Things that can't be helped:

- Air sickness: If you get sick on airplanes, chances are you're going to feel horrible once you get off. Dramamine and/or other pills can help, but those have side effects too. My sister gets horribly airsick and she can't eat anything on planes except bread and water, so she is always weak getting off a plane, especially after 12-hour Asia flights.

- Not being able to sleep on the plane: One of my theories about jetlag is that what you do on the plane and what you do on the first day that you arrive in a new time zone is crucial. If you plan everything right, and force yourself to sleep or not sleep on the plane, you can do a 12-hour shift in a day or so. I've done it several times myself after flying from Boston to Taipei. Unfortunately, if you are unable to sleep on the plane, you're pretty much screwed. I'm pretty lucky since I've always been able to sleep anywhere: a carpeted floor, on the window seat in my HS library, in any MIT lecture hall (6-120 especially), in a bus/train/airplane seat, on a dining table with a blanket...

- Getting sick easily due to lack of sleep: Junior year in college, I averaged 4 hours of sleep, and I pulled all-nighters on a regular basis, but I hardly ever got sick. Now, I go to Vegas for the weekend, average 6-7 hours of sleep, and get sick. Getting sick is pretty hard to control. Eating and hydrating properly does help a little bit, though.

Things that can be helped:

- Sleeping according to the new time zone as soon as possible: When I get on a plane, I figure out what time it is at the arrival location, and do whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing there. When I get on a 10:30pm red-eye on the West Coast, I figure out that it's 1:30am on the East Coast, and I go to sleep ASAP. When I get on a 1:00pm flight in San Francisco, I figure out it's 4:00am in Taipei, set my watch alarm for 10:00am Taipei time, and go to sleep ASAP.

- Eating and drinking properly: I like to take food and especially water onto planes with me. That way, you can eat whenever you like, not when the airline decides to feed you, and remain properly hydrated throughout the flight. Nothing makes me feel like crap as much as being dehydrated.

- Fighting through the first day: Now, back to my theory that the first day in the new time zone is the key. If you succumb to jetlag and sleep at 7pm on the first night, then you're pretty much screwed the next couple of days. If you fight until 11pm before you crash, you're in much better shape the next day. I find that if I fight through the first day, I don't have to fight very hard to get through any of the subsequent days. The best way to fight through jetlag is to play video games. Passive activities such as watching TV and reading books aren't nearly as good. Video games demand your complete attention, as well as hand-eye coordination. The other way to deal with the first day is to cram in so many activities that you can't sleep. For example, on last week's Boston trip, I arrived on the 7am red-eye, and I was scheduled to meet our group in the hotel lobby at 8am, before a full day of interviews starting at 9am. Similarly, my mom used to book us on a trans-Pacific flight leaving Saturday morning, which would arrive in Taipei Sunday night, and we would be expected at Chinese school at 10am Monday morning. It's amazing what you can do when you have no other choice.

I wonder if I'll look back at this in ten years and conclude that it's only young people who can ward off jetlag. Although, my mother usually does a pretty good job.