Personal rest and sleep management
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Personal rest and sleep management
I have now read several duty time threads on this forum, including many interesting links, about taking short naps while flying and other on duty matters. In a controlled form, catnapping is a good thing, I think.
But how about your time off, the rest period. How do you manage rest/sleep? Just because you are off, doesn't mean that you rest, or sleep, for that sake.
I have come to conclude that at least for my part, it is easier to stay awake when tired (to some extend), than to sleep, when not tired (unless long term fatigued already!).
What I mean by this is that if rostered to check in at for instance 2200, I cannot just sleep at 1400 until it is time to get up, if I am in a normal day/night rythm.
So in order to get a good rest before a long flight starting towards midnight, I need to get myself tired first. I plan to get up early enough to be tired by the time I want my sleep to start.
Get it? I realize many pilots are rostered so tight they do not have enough time to do this, I guess this especially goes for short haul pilots.
From the previous example, I might make myself get up at four in the morning, make sure I do tireing activities such as reading (about duty time regulations!) and maybe some exercise. By the time 1400 arives, I will be dead tired, and having a good rest thereafter and be fully rested for flying.
How do you plan your rest periods? I am curious about other solutions.
But how about your time off, the rest period. How do you manage rest/sleep? Just because you are off, doesn't mean that you rest, or sleep, for that sake.
I have come to conclude that at least for my part, it is easier to stay awake when tired (to some extend), than to sleep, when not tired (unless long term fatigued already!).
What I mean by this is that if rostered to check in at for instance 2200, I cannot just sleep at 1400 until it is time to get up, if I am in a normal day/night rythm.
So in order to get a good rest before a long flight starting towards midnight, I need to get myself tired first. I plan to get up early enough to be tired by the time I want my sleep to start.
Get it? I realize many pilots are rostered so tight they do not have enough time to do this, I guess this especially goes for short haul pilots.
From the previous example, I might make myself get up at four in the morning, make sure I do tireing activities such as reading (about duty time regulations!) and maybe some exercise. By the time 1400 arives, I will be dead tired, and having a good rest thereafter and be fully rested for flying.
How do you plan your rest periods? I am curious about other solutions.
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I plan it differently..
For a night flight I try to make sure I have a full night's sleep the previous night (eg 2300-0700), and then snooze in the afternoon. Making myself tired never works for me; if you do that and then cannot sleep in the afternoon you end up even more tired!
TP
For a night flight I try to make sure I have a full night's sleep the previous night (eg 2300-0700), and then snooze in the afternoon. Making myself tired never works for me; if you do that and then cannot sleep in the afternoon you end up even more tired!
TP
When it comes to sleep management I guess that you do what works for you. Just a few points though,
Your sleep cycle is set by your circadian rhythm and there is nothing you can do about it.
to get effective sleep you need to:
Be asleep during the period between 2300-0100. This is when your body repairs itself(deep sleep). A good example is Tony Blair. He claims to get by with about 3-4 hours sleep a night - all well and good but look at the difference in him in 8 short years.
Next you need to be asleep between 0300-0600. This REM sleep. This effectively where your brain defrags it's hard drive. Your brain reorders everything that it has learnt over the previous 24 hours.
Catnapping is fine, as long as you don't nap for more than 30 minutes or so, but you still need the above sleep requirements to function effectively in the long term.
In the short term you can do without, but it is unsustainable in the long term.
Your body can reset it's rhythm, but it takes about 3 weeks to do it and you'll never get fully into sync with the locals if you change time zones.
Try to avoid flying between 0100-0300 as this is when your body core lowers it's temperature. Thus when you're awake at these times you feel like death warmed up.
Hope that this helps.
The Saint
Your sleep cycle is set by your circadian rhythm and there is nothing you can do about it.
to get effective sleep you need to:
Be asleep during the period between 2300-0100. This is when your body repairs itself(deep sleep). A good example is Tony Blair. He claims to get by with about 3-4 hours sleep a night - all well and good but look at the difference in him in 8 short years.
Next you need to be asleep between 0300-0600. This REM sleep. This effectively where your brain defrags it's hard drive. Your brain reorders everything that it has learnt over the previous 24 hours.
Catnapping is fine, as long as you don't nap for more than 30 minutes or so, but you still need the above sleep requirements to function effectively in the long term.
In the short term you can do without, but it is unsustainable in the long term.
Your body can reset it's rhythm, but it takes about 3 weeks to do it and you'll never get fully into sync with the locals if you change time zones.
Try to avoid flying between 0100-0300 as this is when your body core lowers it's temperature. Thus when you're awake at these times you feel like death warmed up.
Hope that this helps.
The Saint
