Aviation industry regulators and human factors experts are extremely concerned about fatigue as a contributing factor in accidents. It's usually hard to prove in the aftermath of accidents that are fatal to flight crewmembers, since fatigue leaves no markers, but post-accident interviews with surviving pilots often suggests that fatigue — partly from stress, but mainly from not having slept for too long a time — played a role.

Regulations and industry guidelines limit flight and duty hours, but there's no way to force people to get enough sleep in their time off. Even if they want to, some crewmembers sleep poorly in hotels. Being many time zones away from home disrupts their normal sleep cycle, or circadian rhythm. (Whenever I read that term I imagine it as a ragtime song — "That old circadian rhythm got me tappin' my toes!")

During the morning commute I see lots of drivers yawning and infer that they've cheated on sleep to get more done, or to have a little time to themselves.

Posted by: Rick Darby on October 30, 2006 2:34 PM

Hard to tell medical marketing from legitimate medical research. Medical practitioners are always looking for new "interventions." We are constantly bombarded by information like this, part of the ongoing medicalisation of America. You are supposed to feel anxious, seek treatment, spend money…

Posted by: J. J. on October 30, 2006 8:03 PM






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