Most travelers think that they need to sleep through the whole flight, but that is not necessarily the right thing to do.

Michael Sabitoni, who teaches travel-tourism management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I, suggest the following:

Try to stay awake during neal and beverage service, and sleep only when the cabin is darkened. The flight crew purposely times the lighting and activity levels in the cabin to help you reset your internal clock.

• Eliminate fatty foods, eat plenty of carbohydrates and vegetables, and drink plenty of water.

• If possible, avoid taking motion-sickness medications or sleeping pills, which aggravate jet lag. (I found that the ginger in 'Ginger Snap' cookies combats motion-sickness naturally without having to put chemicals into your body).
• Continue the low-fat, high carbohydrate diet during the flight. You can request a heart-healthy or vegetable meal when you buy your ticket.
• Drink plenty of water and fruit juices, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Take a bottle of water on board so you don't have to call the flight attendant every time you're thirsty.
• Exercise in your seat and walk around periodically. While seated, you can stretch your arms overhead, gently stretch your neck, exercise your hands, raise and lower your legs, and bend over and touch your ankles.
• Try to get some sleep during the flight, but wait until the cabin lights are dimmed and the movie is over.

• Opt for a two-hour nap instead of a two-hour sightseeing tour.
• After your nap, have a shower and assimilate your activity to the time of day. If it's noon, have lunch. Then, spend the afternoon touring or shopping, have dinner, and turn in at a reasonable hour. Then, set your alarm for early the next morning.