Jet lag occurs when you are attempting to counteract the body’s reaction to time zone changes.
Airline crew operate on Zulu time (GMT). Our crew never changed their watches no matter where we were (and I got in the habit of unplugging the clock in my hotel room is as to not have any nasty surprises like in Fort Wayne, IN).
When it was their “rest time”, we would get into our hotel room or flight bunk (or couch, or chair) and pull the blackout shades, put on an eye mask and go to sleep.
If we needed help doing that (some newbies did), people have different ways of feeling with that including sleeping pills, alcohol, melatonin, counting sheep, what have you.
Most crew that have been doing it for any length of time can get to sleep quickly when it is *their* night time.
This of course meant that we might be wandering around Paris fully awake at 3AM, but I’d argue – when better to see it?
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/How-do-pilots-and-flight-crew-deal-with-jetlag-and-manage-to-get-adequate-amounts-of-sleep
Originally Posted On: 2015-12-16