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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
08:36
Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Alertness management in aviation operations: enhancing performance and sleep.
Mark R Rosekind1, Kevin B Gregory, Melissa M Mallis
1Alertness Solutions, 1601 S. DeAnza Blvd., Ste. 200, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA. bealert@alertsol.com
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|December 23, 2006
Summary
Implementing a comprehensive Alertness Management Program (AMP) significantly improved flight crew knowledge, sleep duration, and performance. This program effectively manages fatigue in operational settings.
Area of Science:
- Operational safety
- Human factors in aviation
- Sleep science
Background:
- Fatigue poses a significant safety risk in operational environments.
- There is a growing need for effective fatigue management strategies.
- Improving alertness and performance is crucial for safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a comprehensive Alertness Management Program (AMP) in a commercial airline setting.
- To assess the impact of the AMP on flight crew sleep, alertness, and performance.
- To determine the effectiveness of an innovative scheduling approach incorporating sleep and alertness principles.
Main Methods:
- An operational evaluation compared a standard flight schedule with a full AMP implementation.
- The AMP included education, alertness strategies, scheduling, and sleep hygiene.
- Objective measures included actigraphy for sleep, psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) for performance, and subjective reports.
Main Results:
- Education significantly improved crew knowledge (74% to 98% correct).
- The AMP intervention condition resulted in significantly more sleep (1 hour, 9 minutes).
- All performance metrics showed significant improvement under the AMP intervention condition.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive AMP effectively enhances crew knowledge and support for alertness strategies.
- The AMP leads to increased sleep and improved performance in operational settings.
- Findings support the adoption of AMP for robust fatigue management.
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