Do pilots forever exist in a state of jetlag

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PilotBurner44@reddit

It depends.

Not a great answer, but it depends on the pilot, where they live, what they fly, and what their schedule is like.

I sit reserve and sometimes only fly 2-4 days a month. Not much jet lag there. Other guys fly 18+ days a month and commute across the country or even internationally. I'd guess they experience more jet lag than I do most months.

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flyingforfun3@reddit

Dudes at United. I’m doubting he’s doing 18+ days.

Sounds like he’s depressed, or just choosing to be a shitty partner.

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PilotBurner44@reddit

Hard to say. Some guys grind real hard chasing the dough. Flew with a dude last year that had made $810k by August as a narrow body captain. He was working 20 days that month. I don't think he liked his wife much though.

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sun_not_cold@reddit

I got a buddy at Alaska airlines who exclusively does pacific time zone routes. Flying up and down the coast all week. Rarely leaves the time zone.

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CapeGreg767@reddit

I have been out on medical now for almost 2 1/2 years. After 6 months of sleeping in my own bed, I feel like a new man. I never knew how chronically fatigued I was crossing 12 time zones in two weeks every month for 28 years. As soon as I get my medical back I am retiring.

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UnfortunateSnort12@reddit

Depends on your job? I work mornings each day, so my circadian rhythm is mostly intact. I just get used to waking up super early at work and at home. Not hard with young kids. :P

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NeedMEI@reddit

I think you confused jet lag with hangover.

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jackpotairline@reddit

Six day block of reserve, two days off, commute back home on one of those days off, then six day block again? And abused for all those days?

Hella lagged

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mfsp2025@reddit

Looking at the flair, please tell me this isn’t the case at the majors. I’m hoping to get out of that cycle lol

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jackpotairline@reddit

It’s a short time you have that going on. Seniority moves quickly enough these days. Plus that situation is honestly an extreme that rarely happens even while mega junior. But I have had that happen during the summer in my base, equipment and seat.

Taking a junior anythingslot can make that worse though.

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mfsp2025@reddit

That’s not too bad then. At my regional, even reserve has been very commutable and I’ve yet to have to commute home on a day off. But I think the days off you get at mainline makes a huge difference.

I get 12 days off on reserve.

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Vincent-the-great@reddit

Maybe? Ive been in my own bed 4 nights this month, I never know what day of the week it is but this feels pretty normal

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ChuckS117@reddit

Do you ever wake up, eyes closed, and you don't know where you are or how does the room you are in looks like?

I hate that.

I've started leaving a light on just so I dont get that anxiety.

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Vincent-the-great@reddit

I wear a large oversized hoodie to bed with the hood scrunched over my faceand room temp of 66° because im sick of my hair getting all oily from gross hotel pillows. So I always wake up in the dark not knowing where I am but it never really concerns me. Sometimes ive woken up at home thinking everything was a dream and thats scary.

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Churovy@reddit

Listen, it’s Saturwednesday, you’re off for two days and you report back on Friuesday, 9am.

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Vincent-the-great@reddit

Oh boy 9am??? I get to finally sleep in 😂😂😂

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oh_helloghost@reddit

What day is it?

Day 4…. I think?

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HoldinTheBag@reddit

Im so out of it that I have to pull out my phone and check when the customs officer asks where I am about to go in 15 minutes

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150Echo@reddit

Have you tried being more senior? I hear that works. Couldn't tell ya though. Never been there myself.

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mitch_kramer@reddit

Days of the week mean nothing in this business. I also never really know what day it is. That being said, I don't feel tired all the time. My sleep is pretty flexible. I can have a night or two of shitty sleep but can usually catch up on the road. I usually have the worst sleep the night before a trip starts and the last day of a trip because of the commute. Sleep great on the road.

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Vincent-the-great@reddit

I go by dates of the month strictly and it pisses all my family off. I do get upset when I have weekends off because it means all the stores have lines

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sientscheet@reddit

Flying longhaul, yes. Same time zone, not so much depending on your roster.

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SuperSaint77x@reddit

Not on the 787 fleet.

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

No I have so much time off it doesn’t bother me. I enjoy naps. And the knowledge I’ve gained about sleep has made it mostly a non-issue. I don’t drink after dinner. I wear earplugs and eye mask every night and nap. Amber glasses an hour before bed. I read a book before sleeping, no phone. Drink plenty of water. Exercise in the morning. Sunshine on your face in the morning.

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Coupleexplorer08@reddit

That just about sums it up. I also use Melatonin and valerian root for a few days after big time zone changes. Discipline is important, I know some people who go through jet lag hell for a week because they just let themselves go and are awake / asleep whenever - and that doesn’t work.

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dokari_for_u@reddit

Is melatonin a banned drug for pilots? Just curious.

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IcePapaya@reddit

I recommend you read up the rules on OTC stuff yourself, as there are some guidelines. But generally no

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Bluzzard@reddit

Andrew Huberman podcast sound advice.

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Yup some good stuff on there regarding sleep and circadian rhythm. Magnesium threonate/glycinate works good too. I enjoy a sleepytime tea as well, like chamomile/mint

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Bluzzard@reddit

I take Magnesium Glycinate every night for blood pressure.

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SumOfKyle@reddit

Damn, can you come fix my entire life? Thanks

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

I’m close with some Sleep Therapists (insomnia/hypersomnia/cpap stuff) so I’ve learned a lot about it. Anything you’re struggling with?

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fly-guy@reddit

I am most of the time.

I fly from Europe and most of my trips are to Canada, the us and the Caribbean and it seems like my "standard timezone" is around the area between Greenland and Iceland, about 2/3 hours earlier than my real timezone.

It disappears when I have an extended leave (needs about two weeks).

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Prof_Slappopotamus@reddit

Jet lag? Nah.

Confused about the day of the week, eating dinner at noon, 9, or 2am, and generally not really concerning ourselves with what time we start running errands? Yea, absolutely.

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LikenSlayer@reddit

Never in my life...

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ApoTHICCary@reddit

A social construct to like keep us in line with fiat civil structures the populous has like decided is normal, man.

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Rainebowraine123@reddit

The biggest loss in stores moving away from 24 hours is that I can no longer be nocturnal and still have places to shop.

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stormostorm@reddit

2 AM wally world runs are something that I crave at my deepest fibers of being.

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scottyh214@reddit

It’s odd when you wake up, have no idea where you are but there’s something walking on you just to realize it’s your own cat and you’re at home.

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Difficult-While-7673@reddit

When I was flying long haul, yes, unless I had a long stretch of days off at home.

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redwoodbus@reddit

This month's work: 2 nights away (2 2-day trips, 4 1-day trips. No redeye. No circadian swap. A couple of the 1 days were quite long though (leave home, arrive 13 and 16 hours later respectively).

Narrowbody pilot life can be OK. I did get rid of work and am paid less than guarantee, but will get by OK.

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Independent-Reveal86@reddit

Not for me. Short/mid haul with the biggest time zone change being 3 hours.

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SnazzyStooge@reddit

Research says it takes as many days to recover as time zones crossed. You do the math. By the way, "jet lag" isn't just sleep, there are literally hundreds of body cycles tied to circadian rhythm. I personally take much longer to "re-sync" my digestive clock after a trip than anything else.

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Several-Village5814@reddit

Only if you fly for an ACMI

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JumboTrijet@reddit

Only when it comes to political opinions

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BeeDubba@reddit

I fly a small jet that can't cross more than one time zone. So no.

Although our 3:45 vans suck!

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e_pilot@reddit

More or less

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Kemerd@reddit

I heard a handful of airline captains talking last week. One was saying how grateful they were to get 6 hours of sleep time on a specific route instead of 4. So I guess so!

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Antique-Kitchen-1896@reddit

I hope not for safety. However, according to Einstein pilots should have experienced a slower (tiny tiny) progression of time over many flights.

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RaiseTheDed@reddit

I don't switch my sleep schedule when I switch timezones, so no. Dies that mean I am awake at 3am in some random place? Yes. Do I care? Nah

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Aviator8989@reddit

No

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Yes

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CSGOTRICK@reddit

sorta

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Penaple01@reddit

Kinda

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Nivekevin7@reddit

What was the question?

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Something about a snack box?

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FiberApproach2783@reddit

I want one

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iketunes00@reddit

You don’t need one, you have cake.

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Martinblade@reddit

I hope it's vanilla cake, we had chocolate last time.

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Flagrant_negligence@reddit

Cake is cake, doesn’t matter what flavor

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Maclunkey4U@reddit

I was told that was a lie.

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FiberApproach2783@reddit

Damn, you're right

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KITTYONFYRE@reddit

only if you fly cargo

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VolubleWanderer@reddit

I live west coast and I’m based in central time zone. I’m a night owl and my wife is an early bird and it’s kinda been awesome cause when I was a CFI I’d wanna stay up late and sleep in but now 9pm at home feels late so my wife and I have the same sleep schedule.

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Brambleshire@reddit

Yes

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Wild-Language-5165@reddit

No.

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Ambitious_Enigma@reddit

I'm not the average pilot, but I don't ever deal with jet lag. I work a week on/week off rotation, and I can fly every single day of my week on. However I get to be home in my own bed 98% of the time. Very rare to overnight. If I do over night, it's usually just a single night away, or a few nights once a year for my recurrent training and check ride.

It's not the "airlines", but it's definitely a unicorn job in the world of aviation. It'll probably be my forever job unless something crazy happens in the future.

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