h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That was the third night in a row that I've gone to bed really knackered and woken up 5 hours later unable to sleep. This time it was 4am; I tossed and turned for an hour before giving up and logging on. By 8am I was knackered again, went back to bed for 3 hours (and slept for one of them). Anyone recommend anything for jetlag, then? Weirdly both Quinn and I have noticed that it's only really bad when going from America to England, not the other way around.

Okay, so it's my first proper day on the job, and I've got to pile through the forums and get a good idea of what you're all talking about. Should be easy enough, there are only 700 new messages posted per day at the moment.

AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH.

(Perhaps you can help by telling me which are the best forums to look at - I'm going to code something that might help, but until then...)

Oh, and I just remembered that my chum Chris Palmer who works at Netscape over in The Bay also deserves a big thank you for putting me up at his place, and letting me play with his force feedback steering wheel. (And his chum Gilbert for trying to bribe me to accept his entries - it won't work, y'know)

Media Of The Day: "Way Out ->" by Orbital, off Middle Of Nowhere. They make it seem so bloody easy. Utterly luscious.
( http://ss.cdnow.com/H/67/01/13666701.mp2 for a 30-second sample... you wouldn't believe the lengths I went to to get a decently short URL that wouldn't push the Journal way across the screen. I think we need XML enabled in forum posts soon.)

I know how you feel. Had such a bad case of jetlag last year that I considered death as an easy option. After my fourth night of one to two hours sleep after a twenty hour flight during which I got a grand total of NO hours sleep,(and bear in mind I had to work in a job where I'm actually required to speak to people, nod sagely and then make decisions about minor issues like their HEALTH), I broke down, wept on the shoulder of a patient who used to be a flight attendant and begged her for the answer. She confessed that alcohol was the only answer that she'd ever relied on, and drove me to a vodka vendor immediately. It worked, by the way.

I've also found the same method works for a hangover, but maybe that's just me.

It's always worse travelling from West to East, as it shortens the day, whereas London to NY, for example, just makes the day about 3 hours longer. Your body clock goes off the rails if you are forced to go to bed earlier, hence the trouble sleeping. I've found the best cure is to party for two days solid before leaving the USA (the alcohol helps here too) and then watch the films on the plane. You are then knackered on arrival and recover in about a day by just sleeping.

Thanks for the tips. I think I'm much more sorted than I was a couple of days ago, but next time I'll probably take your advice and spend all day in the pub with Shim. (I know he'd enjoy that... 5 Guinnesses and he's anybody's)

-- Yoz