Onboard ailment: Jet lag Why it happens: When you cross time zones, you won't sleep when your body expects you to - and this change to the normal routine can cause a tired feeling more extreme than if you'd just had a short night's sleep back home. How to avoid it: Aim, if possible, to arrive at your destination during daylight hours. If it's light outside, your body will try harder to stay alert and awake. Then you should try to stay awake until it's at least 8 or 9pm locally - you may be whacked by then but at least a great night's sleep is guaranteed. If you have to arrive at night, you'll be better off in the long run by having an immediate short nap of a couple of hours until dawn, and then trying to get up at the same time as everyone else in your new location.
Additionally, the fresher you feel after your flight, the better equipped you'll be to cope with jetlag - so follow those tips on hydration you just read.
Perhaps the best tip is to allow a day or two extra at the start of your holiday if you expect jet lag to be a problem - and then you won't feel your zombified state of mind has made you miss out on any fun.
