A few years ago, on the day we’d returned to Abu Dhabi from New York, my then seven-year-old son woke me up in the middle of the night. “Mommy,” he whispered, “mommy! I’m worried I’m going to catch jet lag!”
Poor kid. It was 3am in Abu Dhabi, but his body clock thought it was dinner-time in New York. He didn’t have to worry about catching “the lag”: it had caught him. I suppose that most of us who live in Abu Dhabi and regularly migrate around the globe can appreciate his dilemma. None of us want jet lag, but it’s become a modern-day, self-inflicted disease. Sometimes I think that jet-lag is the price I have to pay for having moved so far away from my family: sleeplessness as a form of penance.
I am not a good sleeper under the best of circumstances and I envy those who have mastered the art of the nap, or who can get their full night’s sleep on a long-haul flight. If you’ve ever been awakened on an international flight by someone accidentally shining her reading light into your eyes, it wasn’t me, I promise.
My husband is one of those who can sleep anytime, anywhere, and when I’m lying there awake, in the early stages of time-zone discombobulation, as he blissfully snores away, it is hypothetically possible that in trying to get comfortable, I might have kicked him.
Everyone has some secret recipe for avoiding jet lag, but let’s face it: the only cure is to endure. That means trying not to appear too obviously drowsy at that late-afternoon meeting, when your internal clock thinks it’s 3am and every fibre of your being screams out “go to sleep”, and then on the other side of things, trying to avoid gerbil wheel of anxiety that kicks in when you’re awake in the middle of the night.
You’d think I’d know by now not to listen to myself in the wee hours of the morning, when I’m wide awake and trying not to kick my husband. But my insomniac mind is loudest at 3am, reminding me about missed opportunities, poorly executed projects, undone “to do” lists and ghastly memories of social awkwardness. I find myself reliving things from ancient history, like the time that someone tripped me in the lunch room in eighth grade and I dropped my entire tray of food. It’s as if my brain is adding insult to injury: social humiliation coupled with images of myself with an appalling “Dorothy Hamill” haircut and bell-bottomed trousers.
I have learnt, however, that I can slow the gerbil wheel down by keeping a notebook at the side of the bed to jot down all-important to-do items, or the flashes of inspiration that strike at 4am but are shreds of mist after the sun comes up. Of course, in the harsh light of actual morning, those pressing tasks are things like “buy new socks” and the flashes of inspiration are – well, let’s just say, they’re not quite as brilliant as they seemed in the fog of pre-dawn.
Jet-lag is the product of our ability to hurl ourselves around the world in search of adventure, or family, or work — and yet this ability doesn’t seem to have produced as much of a global community as you might expect. But maybe cultural engagement is too much to expect from exhausted people. Let’s start with our shared sleeplessness: we can commiserate over a cup of tea and work from there.
The experts warn us that for each hour we move, it takes a day to adapt: eight hours, eight days; 10 hours, 10 days. I generally feel a little less apocalyptic after four or five days, however, and my husband wakes up with fewer hypothetical bruises on his shins. He should be healed just in time for our flight back to Abu Dhabi in August. He’s thinking of investing in a pair of shin guards and I’m not scheduling any meetings until early September.
Deborah Lindsay Williams is a professor of literature at NYU Abu Dhabi
Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)
Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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