How well do pilots sleep during long-haul flights?
Open accessAbstract
It is imperative that shiftworkers in safety-critical workplaces obtain sufficient sleep to operate effectively. This presents a challenge to long-haul airline pilots who are required to supplement normal bed sleep with sleep on-board an aircraft during flight. In the current study, the sleep/wake behaviour of 301 airline pilots operating long-haul flight patterns was monitored for at least 2 weeks using self-report sleep diaries and wrist activity monitors. The data indicate that sleep opportunities in on-board rest facilities during long-haul flights result in a similar amount of sleep, but only 70% as much recovery, as duration-matched bed sleeps. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study indicates that in-flight sleep provides airline pilots with 70% as much restoration as duration-matched bed sleep. To increase the restoration provided by in-flight sleep, airlines could take measures to improve the quality, or increase the amount, of sleep obtained by pilots during flights.
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Sleep disorders screening in addition to circadian approaches and scheduled napping has shown effectiveness in improving safety.
“To address these concerns, sleep disorders screening in addition to circadian approaches and scheduled napping have shown effectiveness in improving safety.189–197”
From Sleep, Health, and Society (2017) · cites this paper as [195]
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- Authors
- Roach, G. D., Darwent, D., & Dawson, D.
- Affiliations
- University of South Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Roach, Gregory D.
- Venue
- Ergonomics
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-08-24
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1072-1075
- ISSN
- 0014-0139 (ISSN-L)
- 1366-5847
- OpenAlex
- W2074217885
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Ergonomics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Acquire (CQUniversity) (submittedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Australian Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- airline pilots, long-haul flights, sleep quality, sleep restoration, shift work, sleep deprivation, sleep monitoring, sleep diary
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aviation, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Monitoring, Physiologic, Sleep, Wakefulness, Work Schedule Tolerance
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