How do you cope with jet lag?

Long flights are not easy. Thank God, when you finally reach your destination. You are greeted by new and interesting sights, long-lost friends and relatives and jet lag. Simply put, jet lag is the feeling of fatigue when your body’s biological rhythms have been affected after a long flight through several time zones. Kwangwook Cho of the University of Bristol Medical School said jet lag shrinks the brain and tends to affect women more than men.

How to deal with jet lag? During your flight, drink lots of water (not alcohol), set your watch to your destination’s time zone and do "sit exercises."

But let’s hear it from the jetset.

Ben Chan, owner of Bench, Human and Dimensione: Jet lag? I make it a point to condition my mind and consciously control my body clock to the time of whatever city I am going to. I try to sleep in the plane as much as I can if I know I will be arriving in the morning. This also comes quite easy for me as I am able to catch up with any sleep (or lack of). Arriving in London or Paris at 5 a.m. fully rested, energized, sans traffic from the airport to the hotel is always a welcome treat to start the day in Europe.

Flying east-bound works quite the opposite, fully rested when I leave home and somehow forced to sleep for the next 12 hours. Arriving in NYC late in the afternoon I get caught in traffic from the airport to the hotel. Although I have 12 more hours (because of the difference in time zones) exhaustion inevitably creeps up on me. Somehow I am able to control myself from sleeping to be in synch with the New York pulse.

Coming home from either flights, I schedule my Manila arrival on a Friday or Saturday so I can have a day or two to sleep and adjust.

Bettina Aboitiz, social secretary, Office of the President, Malacañang: Sometimes I don’t fight my jet lag. I just let it take its course. Then if I wake up in the middle of the night I just take melatonin. Usually my jet lag hits me more when I’m abroad, but here in Manila I hardly get it because of all the things I have to do and follow up to make up for the time that I was away.

Bianca Araneta, commercial model: If the time difference is big, days before leaving the country I try to adjust my sleeping time towards that of my destination. When I’m there and I still have jet lag, I try to keep awake until I reach the right time to sleep. Then I make sure to turn-off the lights closed or read a book or listen to relaxing music… anything to make me doze off. I keep an alarm clock or get a wake up call to make sure I’m up at the right time. Everything picks up from there.

Robert Yupangco, businessman: I try to get as much sleep on the plane so that when I reach my destination I’m fully awake.

Karen Santos, owner, Kashieca: Have a massage and start living in the time zone you’re in.

Manolet Lagdameo, owner, Cucina Victoria and Café Mista: First, I try to get a flight that will take me to my destination in the morning. When I arrive, I stay up and eat lots of sweets to keep me awake. Then I work, work and work the whole day so I get so tired, when night time comes, I’m adjusted and ready to sleep.

Patrick Reyno, investment manager: Usually after a long trip I schedule a busy day, go to the gym in the afternoon, have dinner with friends, then I go to a bar so when I get home I’m ready to sleep. If I still can’t sleep I take an antihistamine pill and watch a DVD or read a book so I don’t bother anyone.

Pepito Albert, designer: Well if I’m in the States and the trip is coast to coast it’s not that difficult to adjust because my trips within the States in the past were very quick ones. Like from L.A. to New York I always take the red eye. The red eye beats the jet lag for me going there. And then if it’s like trans-continental whenever I arrive if it’s in the morning or in the afternoon I just stay up until the evening and then try to sleep normally. I try to stay up until it’s the normal time to sleep. I get over jet lag really fast.

Elbert Cuenca, Palm Business Development manager, Microwarehouse, Inc.: Booze works best for me. Getting drunk on the plane means I can sleep well and arrive refreshed. The same goes for those times I have difficulty going to sleep at night (in another time zone). Drinking lots of water is crucial, too.

Isabel Diaz, artist: I take this sleeping pill – great rest, knockout rest. What? Erap is not the president anymore? Since when? Next time I’ll just take half-a-pill.