Is it jet lag or a simple lack of sleep?

Regarding “Avoid Being a Jet-Lagged Zombie: Light and Liquids” [On the Spot, by Chris Erskine, Aug. 18], I do, as suggested, try to arrive at my destination in the afternoon, and avoid caffeine after noon. But I appreciated the hydration suggestion.

The difference between jet lag and sleep deprivation also occurred to me, because when I would fly from LAX to Nashville, [I was] not getting a full night sleep before a 6 a.m. departure. But I was packing at the last moment and getting only a one- or two-hour nap.

I wonder if others confuse sleep deprivation with jet lag.

John Loggins
Rancho Palos Verdes

One last thing on hidden fees [“Suits Target Resort Fee Shock,” On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, Aug. 11]: Car rental companies are notorious for these practices. Some I understand, such as extra insurance or transponder fees for tolls.

What gets me is quoting a low-ball price, but when you pick up the car [they’ve added] an extra charge for a spouse or second driver, taxes and airport fees that were not included, and drop-off fees for one-way rentals.

I have stuck with Avis because its charges are the closest to what you actually pay at the end of the rental period. They have seldom been more than a few cents off what was originally quoted.

Paul Brown
Santa Ana