A pilot is planned for a full week on duty with reduced periods of rest. What is the consequence of this?
SLEEP CREDIT/DEBIT
The sleep/wake cycle can be thought of as a credit and debit system. In this system the individual is given two points for every hour spent asleep and has one point deducted for every hour spent awake. This is only a rough measure, as individuals vary considerably in the amount of sleep they require. The maximum credit available is 16 points. You cannot store credit points above 16 in anticipation of a long period awake.
When a person is required to be awake longer than the credit situation allows, a sleep debit situation will develop. If possible, the following sleep cycle will then be longer than 8 hours to rebuild the full 16 hours of sleep credit. While a short sleep debit will usually not cause any remarkable effects in healthy persons, sleep debit can become cumulative and result in reduced vigilance and performance, with an increased susceptibility to sensory illusions. This problem is very common when forced to work days (or nights) in a row with little time in between that to be used for building up sleep credit.
- Jet lag/circadian disrhythmia - occurs when conducting transmeridian long-distance flights where shifts occur in the rhythm of night and day. Most likely, this question does not refer to long-haul flights but rather short-haul operations, where the crew always returns to base and no shifts occur in the rhythm of night and day.
- The question possibly describes a situation of situational insomnia (inability to sleep due to disrupted work/rest patterns, or circadian dysrhythmia) rather than chronic insomnia (long-term pattern of difficulty sleeping).
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