The effect of a dynamic lighting schedule on neurobehavioral performance during a 45-day simulated space mission.

Study Objectives: We previously reported that during a 45-day simulated space mission, a dynamic lighting schedule (DLS) improved circadian phase alignment and performance assessed once on selected days. This study aimed to evaluate how DLS affected performance on a 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) administered multiple times per day on selected days.

Methods: Sixteen crewmembers (37.

An at-home evaluation of a light intervention to mitigate sleep inertia symptoms.

Objectives: Under laboratory settings, light exposure upon waking at night improves sleep inertia symptoms. We investigated whether a field-deployable light source would mitigate sleep inertia in a real-world setting.

Methods: Thirty-six participants (18 female; 26.

Sex differences in perceptions of sleep inertia following nighttime awakenings.

Study Objectives: The influence of biological sex on sleep inertia symptoms is currently unknown. We investigated the role of sex differences in the subjective experience and objective cognitive manifestation of sleep inertia following nighttime awakenings.

Methods: Thirty-two healthy adults (16 female, 25.

Early starts and late finishes both reduce alertness and performance among short-haul airline pilots.

Flight crews are frequently required to work irregular schedules and, as a result, can experience sleep deficiency and fatigue. This study was conducted to determine whether perceived fatigue levels and objective performance varied by time of day, time awake, and prior night's sleep duration. Ninety-five pilots (86 male, 9 female) aged 33 years (±8) volunteered for the study.

Flight Crew Alertness and Sleep Relative to Timing of In-Flight Rest Periods in Long-Haul Flights.

In-flight breaks are used during augmented long-haul flight operations, allowing pilots a sleep opportunity. The U.S.

Changes in performance and bio-mathematical model performance predictions during 45 days of sleep restriction in a simulated space mission.

Lunar habitation and exploration of space beyond low-Earth orbit will require small crews to live in isolation and confinement while maintaining a high level of performance with limited support from mission control. Astronauts only achieve approximately 6 h of sleep per night, but few studies have linked sleep deficiency in space to performance impairment. We studied crewmembers over 45 days during a simulated space mission that included 5 h of sleep opportunity on weekdays and 8 h of sleep on weekends to characterize changes in performance on the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and subjective fatigue ratings.

An evaluation of fatigue factors in maritime pilot work scheduling.

Maritime piloting operations involve on-call work schedules that may lead to sleep loss and circadian misalignment. Our study documented pilot work scheduling practices (n = 61) over a one-year period. Most pilots worked a week-on/week-off schedule.

The relationship between workload, performance and fatigue in a short-haul airline.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between pilot workload, performance, subjective fatigue, sleep duration, number of sectors and flight duration during short-haul operations. Ninety pilots completed a NASA Task Load Index, Psychomotor Vigilance Task and a Samn-Perelli fatigue scale on top-of-descent of each flight and wore an activity monitor throughout the study. Weak, but significant, correlations were revealed between workload and all factors.

Mitigating fatigue on the flight deck: how is controlled rest used in practice?

Controlled Rest (CR) refers to a short, unscheduled, voluntary nap opportunity taken by pilots on the flight deck as a countermeasure to unanticipated fatigue in flight. This study explores the profile of CR use in a long-haul commercial airline. Forty-four pilots wore actiwatches and filled in an application-based sleep/work diary for approximately 2 weeks resulting in complete records from 239 flights.

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments.

Sleep loss and circadian misalignment contribute to a meaningful proportion of operational accidents and incidents. Countermeasures and work scheduling designs aimed at mitigating fatigue are typically evaluated in controlled laboratory environments, but the effectiveness of translating such strategies to operational environments can be challenging to assess. This manuscript summarizes an approach for collecting sleep, circadian, fatigue, and performance data in a complex operational environment.

Sleep and neurobehavioral performance vary by work start time during non-traditional day shifts.

Introduction: It is established that shiftwork causes sleep loss and circadian misalignment. Individuals who work non-traditional day shifts that encroach into typical sleep times, such as those in the service and transportation sectors, may also experience sleep and circadian disruption. We aimed to determine how neurobehavioral performance and sleep would be affected by work start time among individuals working a non-traditional daytime shift pattern.

Pilot fatigue survey: exploring fatigue factors in air medical operations.

Introduction: Humans confront significant physiological challenges with sleep and alertness when working in 24/7 operations.

Methods: A web-based national survey of air medical pilots examined issues relevant to fatigue and sleep management.

Results: Six hundred ninety-seven responses were received, with a majority of rotor wing pilots working 3/3/7 and 7/7 duty schedules.

Insomnia risks and costs: health, safety, and quality of life.

The effect of insomnia on next-day functioning, health, safety, and quality of life results in a substantial societal burden and economic cost. The annual direct cost of insomnia has been estimated in the billions of US dollars and is attributed to the association of insomnia with the increased risk of certain psychiatric and medical comorbidities that result in increased healthcare service utilization. It is well known that psychiatric conditions, anxiety and depression in particular, are comorbid with insomnia.

The cost of poor sleep: workplace productivity loss and associated costs.

Objective: To assess the impact of sleep disturbances on work performance/productivity.

Methods: Employees (N = 4188) at four US corporations were surveyed about sleep patterns and completed the Work Limitations Questionnaire. Respondents were classified into four categories: insomnia, insufficient sleep syndrome, at-risk, and good sleep.

Alertness management in aviation operations: enhancing performance and sleep.

Introduction: Fatigue is an acknowledged safety risk in diverse operational settings. As a result, there has been growing interest in developing and implementing activities to improve alertness, performance, and safety in real-world operations where fatigue is a factor.

Methods: A comprehensive Alertness Management Program (AMP) that included education, alertness strategies, scheduling, and healthy sleep was implemented in a commercial airline.

Alertness management in 24/7 settings: lessons from aviation.

Round-the-clock operational requirements pose physiological challenges for human operators. Fatigue due to sleep loss and circadian disruption can reduce safety, performance quality, and alertness. The authors describe the physiological factors underlying fatigue and provide examples from NASA research in aviation settings that demonstrate how fatigue affects real-world operations.