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You Need More Sleep
Published
Essays on Employee Health Benefits and Other Health Care Topics, Hosted by Brian Klepper
Essays on Employee Health Benefits and Other Health Care Topics, Hosted by Brian Klepper
Care And Cost 
I found this article to be of particular interest because I was a flight attendant for 42 years. While I am now retired, I remember clearly how tired we were all the time. Many of us flew all-nighters. We referred to ourselves as vampires. The light of day meant bedtime. As the years went on in my career, I began flying international trips. On many of those trips flight arrivals are in the wee hours of the morning in Europe. It’s tricky trying to figure out how to rest. Do you go to bed when you get there, or do you stay with the natural pattern and go to bed at night in the other destination? No matter how you do it, you are going to have jet lag. It’s something that is very familiar to flight crews. Usually, crew members become accustomed to a routine and jet lag is not quite as bad for them as it is for the average traveler.
Upon retirement, I was able to have a normal schedule where sleeping at night and living during the day was possible on a daily basis. It took me at least 2 years to feel rested after leaving my career behind. I didn’t realize how terrible I had been feeling until I felt good again. This is a common occurrence among retiring international flight crews! I am no longer able to sleep 24 hours straight. I find that I sleep 8 hours without a problem. My life has changed. I am happier. I am more alert. I no longer fall asleep at inappropriate times.
The whole point of my comment to you is that sleep is extremely important to those who travel. The lack of sleep can make or break your trip. For night workers, the work schedule can diminish your strength, mental accuity and happiness. I can only wonder how much my career schedule has cut off of my lifetime.
I am going to share your article on my Facebook page. I hope you don’t mind. Friends who are still crew members are all suffering crew fatigue these days, and they will be interested to see the statistics that you provided. Thank you.