I guess we all know it's not the healthiest job...
from the external news section on the easyJet intranet:
Long-haul air crew 'can develop mental disorder'
Air crew who work long-haul shifts can suffer a series of ailments and even mental disorders over time.
That is the finding of a new study published in the latest issue of The Lancet, with scientists from Liverpool John Moores University discovering an array of medical complaints.
Problems included menstrual cycle problems among women and transient psychotic disorders in air crew who were repeatedly making long-haul trips.
The regularity of the trips was not found to improve tolerance, with traditional effects such as jet lag and sluggish mental activity persisting even after experience of the journeys.
Lead author Jim Waterhouse and his team concluded more work was needed to establish exactly how different time zones affected the body.
"A more detailed understanding of the molecular changes associated with time zone changes is needed, with a view to developing drugs to promote clock adjustment, and further assessments of new sleep-promoting and alertness promoting drugs," they wrote.
The scientists said one of the key factors in the disruption caused to sleep cycles and internal cycles was the imbalance in patterns known as circadian rhythms, which dictate functions such as core temperature and sleep.
Among the other conclusions was the discovery that flights eastwards generally resulted in worse side-effects than those westbound.
By avoiding light at the new destination and trying to remain awake during the daytime, researchers said it was possible to ameliorate the problem but said more study was needed to determine how stimulants could be used effectively.