Which way takes longer to recover from jetlag – west to east or east to west?

Most people aren’t too bothered by jetlag on flights that cross fewer than 4 time zones, but on longer flights it can be a bit of a drag. The general rule of thumb is that it takes 1/2 day per time zone to recover when flying east to west and 1 day per time zone west to east. While there are dozens of “remedies” for jetlag available on the internet, the one proven step that will help is to be certain you are well hydrated before, during, and after the flights.