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Which direction of travel usually makes jet lag harder to adjust to?

Flying east is usually harder to adjust to than flying west.

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  1. Westward
  2. Eastward ✔
  3. Northward

Why: Flying east means your body clock has to move earlier, and most people find that harder than moving it later. Westward trips are usually easier to adapt to.

Huh, didn't know that: On average, people adjust about 1.5 hours a day after flying west, but only about 1 hour a day after flying east.

The dad joke
Flying east made my watch go forward and my sleep go backward.
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References

Answer: Eastward. Flying east means your body clock has to move earlier, and most people find that harder than moving it later. Westward trips are usually easier to adapt to.

  1. Jet Lag Disorder (CDC Yellow Book) www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-air-sea/jet-lag-disorder.html
    westward travel is easier to adapt to than eastward travel
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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