A 26-minute nap may be the best option for a tired flight controller, reports BBC News US & Canada.
After many incidents involving falling asleep on the duty of a flight controller (there have been five such incidents in the US since March), the National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) is calling for controlled naps on night shifts.
Mark Rosekind, an NTSB member and fatigue expert, cites a 1995 NASA study that he co-authored. It was then established that a 26-minute nap improves efficiency by 34%, and vigilance by as much as 54%.
Rosekind’s view is supported by the controllers’ union – its representatives want naps to be allowed on both night and day shifts.
Of course, fatigue is not just a problem with flight controllers – it can be dangerous especially for people driving or operating machinery. However, many experts doubt that just 26 minutes would be the ideal duration for a nap. According to Jim Horne from the UK’s Sleep Research Council, this is so long that there is a risk of falling asleep deeper – and after waking up from a deep sleep, you are even more dizzy.
Rather, Horne recommends a 20-minute nap followed by a cup of coffee. It will take just about 20 minutes for the coffee to take effect. However, this tactic will not work when we are awake the second night in a row.
On the other hand, health writer Linda Wasmer Andrews of Albuquerque, New Mexico, considers a nap of 10 to 20 minutes to be optimal. The best time of day to nap is between 13pm and 15pm.
So far, Transport Secretary Ray LaHood has rejected a proposal to nap for inspectors, arguing that they are being paid to work, not to sleep. On the other hand, the number of managers controlling the night work of flight controllers is to increase (PAP).