For all the fun traveling is, jet lag is one of the downsides. You have just come back from an exciting adventure to be tired and all thrown off of everybody's normal sleep pattern.

Jet lag is caused by air travel across multiple time zones, resulting in fatigue and insomnia. Luckily, I didn't suffer too much when I would come and go from the United States.

My friend Janel just returned from Italy, and I know her internal clock was a little confused on what part of the day it was. Your body actually has a little alarm clock inside called the hypothalamus. It turns on hunger, thirst and sleep, and it regulates body functions like temperature and blood pressure. To keep time, fibers in your optic nerve in your eyes send lightness and darkness readings. By doing this, it can tell if the time is nearer or furtherer than it usually is and triggers your body to react accordingly.

So now you know that your body is always keeping time, and you can prepare it for jet lag.

Here are a few ways people recommend reducing jet lag:

• Get sleep at regular intervals before departure.

• Stay hydrated during flight. Drink about two glasses of water an hour just to be safe.

• Walk and get exercise to keep good circulation.

• After landing, stay up until the regular bed time in your destination.

The last suggestion can be the hardest, but I am a fan of it. You may be tired that first night you land, but you will get on a regular schedule quicker, in my personal experience.

So good luck on your travels, and I hope the few days after your travels are good ones, too. Please comment if you have any other ways to reduce jet lag!