Sleep Debt.Fatigue

In aviation much consideration has been given to the maximum duration of duty periods. In Europe the amendment A5-0263/2002, which has recently been passed by the European Parliament, determines a maximum duty period of 14 hr for pilots. Therefore, the European Cockpit Association has argued that this maximum allowable period together with the mandated rest times may constitute a recipe for cumulative sleep debt. This suspicion is supported by the work of Hamelin, who found that accident risk doubles when duty periods exceed 11 hr. Thus, this new EU regulation is weaker in its potential to prevent pilot fatigue than the old UK regulation. 

Although potential drawbacks are associated with pharmacological interventions, the problems attributable to untreated fatigue seem more immediate and severe, especially when there are few alternatives other than to accomplish the task at hand with a high degree of skill regardless of the extent of sleep debt. A case in point is the fact that several military mishaps have been attributed to fatigue, but none have thus far been attributed to stimulants (i.e., amphetamines)... 

In spite of the widespread belief that too much sleep (extra sleep) is bad, sleep satiation studies suggest that there are true and substantial benefits that accrue by reducing the sleep debt. These include the disappearance of daytime tiredness, fatigue, and sleepiness mood elevation and improvements in performance. Given the pervasive occurrence of chronic sleep loss and observations that sleep satiation is beneficial, we would strongly recommend mounting a sustained and serious scientific effort to investigate sleep satiation much more comprehensively. 

Optimise working conditions Ensure adequate provision of resources and optimize work schedules to reduce fatigue, sleep deprivation and sleep debt... 

Aside from the subjective experience of sleep debt and fatigue, the objective performance of the individual also suffers. The HSE (2006) noted that this applies particularly to tasks that require ... 

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