How do pilots deal with jet lag?

Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.



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Adjust your sleep-wake schedule: Getting on the sleep-wake schedule at your destination quickly may help with jet lag symptoms. Focus on getting quality sleep: Sleeping on the plane, if you can, may help your body adjust faster to a new time zone.

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You (as a pilot) must learn to manage it, that is all. Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest.

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Jet lag symptoms usually occur a day or two after travelling. They tend to last for a few days and may be worse depending on the distance you've travelled, for example across two different time zones. Once your body has adjusted to your new time zone and routine your symptoms should improve and disappear.

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Reading, conversation, etc are all common ways to keep alert. The goal is to stay awake but also still be focused on the task at hand which is flying the plane and not get too distracted.

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According to experts, not eating while you fly can actually help to reduce jet lag. (And that's not the only thing your flight attendant won't tell you.) Turns out, traveling on a plane can do a lot of bad things to your body—including shutting your digestive system down once you reach a high altitude.

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Pilots, flight attendants and business travelers are most likely to experience jet lag. Being an older adult. Older adults may need more time to recover from jet lag.

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Researchers have found that, on average, it takes people about one day to adjust for each 1 to 1.5 hours of time change. So if you fly from the East Coast to the West Coast, which is a three-hour time difference, you should be over your jet lag in two to three days.

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One important issue was how to ensure that the co-pilot didn't also accidentally fall asleep. This has been a real concern for many years in aviation, with some studies reporting that as much as 50% of pilots accidentally fall asleep during flights.

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More than half of pilots have fallen asleep on the flight deck, according to a survey by pilots' union Balpa. The poll showed that of the 56 per cent who admitted nodding off, as many as 29 per cent said they awoke to find the other pilot asleep.

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Jet lag can last anywhere from four to five days. Some specialists say that traveling over just one or two time zones is minimally problematic. Individuals who encounter jet lag feel better a few days after arriving at their destination. But it can take up to one week for some people to feel back to themselves.

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