Why does flying make you tired?

Lower oxygen levels contribute to the fatigue you're feeling. Because plane cabins are pressurized to simulate a 6,000-8,000 feet elevation, your blood absorbs less oxygen at those altitudes. This can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and a lack of mental sharpness.



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Jet lag is when your normal sleep pattern is disturbed after a long flight. It usually improves within a few days as your body adjusts to the new time zone.

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Practice self-care to avoid post-travel fatigue
Stay hydrated, eat nutritious foods, get some exercise, and try to take it easy on alcohol and caffeine—at least while your body's trying to overcome jet lag.

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Sitting down in a tight seat for 13+ hours can sometimes lead to circulation issues, including swelling in the feet. According to The Healthy, the chance of your body forming blood clots increases when blood isn't moving correctly, such as when onboard a long-haul flight.

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Takeoff and landing are widely considered the most dangerous parts of a flight.

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It's normal to feel wiped out after you've had a long travel day. While this can be confused with jet lag, it's often a result of travel fatigue. View Source . Travel fatigue includes symptoms like tiredness and headaches that can arise because of the physical toils of travel.

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Since the 1930s, airlines have been aware of the impact of fatigue on pilot's cognitive abilities and decision making. Nowadays prevalence of fatigue draws greater attention because of boom in air travel and because the problem can be addressed with new solutions and countermeasures.

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Prioritize rest. After a serious time-zone change, “I love to take a nap,” says Kristal Hicks of Top Tier Travel Group. Even if you're someone who can sleep on planes, a proper nap in a bed feels more restful, because you get to extend your body, Hicks says.

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Plane travel makes jet lag worse because your body moves much faster than your brain and circadian rhythms can process the time change. Other aspects of travel can also contribute to jet lag and may make symptoms worse: Long periods of sitting on a plane. Lack of oxygen and decreased air pressure in the airplane cabin.

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Feeling unwell directly after a flight is often the cause of low humidity. Planes have a different atmospheric pressure than we are used to, which can cause the nasal passages to dry, leading to symptoms resembling flu.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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What Effects Does Long-Haul Flying Have On The Human Body?
  • Jet lag. Indeed, the most common symptom of a long-haul journey is jet lag. ...
  • Fatigue. Another common side effect of being airborne for long periods is mild fatigue. ...
  • Ear, nose, and gut problems. Pressurization doesn't just affect oxygen levels. ...
  • Dehydrated skin.


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Shortly after take-off, the first pilot(s) will head to the bunks to sleep for a set period of time, before rotating with the other pilots. The rest is typically distributed evenly amongst the crew, before all the pilots return to the flight deck approximately 1 hour before landing.

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Overview. Jet lag, also called jet lag disorder, is a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who quickly travels across several time zones.

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“If you're landing when people are awake in the middle of the day, that's what you want to do, too. Sleep as much as you can on the plane,” she says. “If you're going to be landing at night, do your best to stay awake on the plane and sleep at your destination.”

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August Ranks as the Deadliest Month for Air Crashes in 3 Years.

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So that leaves the final descent and landing. They take up about 4% of the average flight, lasting twice as long as takeoff and initial climb. But a whopping 49% of fatal accidents occur in this short window, making the final descent and landing the deadliest part of an average flight.

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Although it varies depending on the aircraft, the rest rooms of the cabin crew are usually located behind the cockpit and above the first class like the Boeing 777. Hidden stairs lead to the bedrooms where the crew will sleep and rest. Stairs are usually hidden behind an inconspicuous door near the cockpit.

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Whether flying at night or during the day, pilots need to see some kind of horizon. They use this to determine the airplane's attitude. At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres.

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There are also some practical reasons for turning off the lights. For one, it saves energy, since more power is needed during takeoff and landing. For another, it helps acclimate passengers' eyes to the dark, which can be beneficial in the event of an emergency landing.

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What is post-flight flu? Feeling unwell after a flight can feel miserable, and the culprit? Low humidity in the airplane. There is low moisture in the air which in turn can dry out your nasal passages, leading to flu-like symptoms.

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