Human Systems Integration Division @ NASA Ames

"An initial biomathematical model capable of predicting alertness and performance specific to the
aviation environment was used as the foundation for the development of the Scheduling Assistant Software, a software package to aid airline scheduling. The misalignment of the light/dark cycleand the sleep/wake cycle is often accompanied by increased subjective and physiological fatigue, adverse health effects, performance decrements and errors. These effects have been well documented and continue to be a safety concern in flight operations. Pilots on long-haul flight schedules with multiple flight legs and layovers often experience such misalignment of the light/dark cycle and sleep/wake cycle (circadian desynchrony). This desynchronization between the sleep/wake cycle and the local time zone coupled with fluctuations in the amount and timing of light exposure can affect pilots