by The IFATCA Mental Wellbeing Task Force
We are meant to spend about a third of our lives asleep. The optimal amount of sleep per night varies between individuals, but most healthy adults require between 7 to 9 hours. Sleep science makes it very clear that sleep cannot be sacrificed without consequences. Sleep has vital roles in memory and learning, in maintaining alertness, performance, mood and in overall health and wellbeing1.
critical moments5.
In aviation, a 24/7 industry, air traffic controllers have to work extended hours, night shifts and a rotating work schedule. In these conditions, getting a good night’s sleep could be very difficult. This is why sleep health should be a priority. ATCOs need a good quality sleep to be ready for duty.

At the end of the day, we are all human and, physiologically, our bodies need sleep for mental rest. Therefore, we need to practice good sleep hygiene to improve the time we use for sleep by taking actions such as having a quiet and dark bedroom, relaxing before bedtime with activities such as going for a walk or meditating, avoiding caffeine and tobacco, maintaining a healthy diet and not eating too much before bed, avoiding screen time on mobile phones and televisions, and sticking to a healthy routine, all these could benefit our health and give us a better rest.
Factors such as sleep deprivation and fatigue could cause accidents, in our personal lives or at work in the aviation environment. So, making good decisions related to our sleep will improve aviation safety and our mental wellbeing.
It is a team effort, we need to take care of ourselves, but also more institutional policies and regulations are needed, but if we don´t start by taking care of our own health, no one else will. Sleep is a really important behaviour in our lives. As air traffic controllers we have a responsibility not only for ourselves, but for thousands of people who travel by plane every single day.
Having good sleep hygiene, which allows our brain to recover from the wear of our job, will increase our quality of life and will allow us to perform at optimal levels, reducing the possibility of making a human error.
References
1 International Civil Aviation Organization. Doc 9966. Manual for the Oversight of Fatigue Management Approaches [2nd ed. Version 2 – Revised]; 2020. Available from: https://elibrary.icao.int/product/234625
2 Carlson, NR & Birkett, M. Physiology of Behavior [Global Edition, 13th]. Pearson Education Limited; 2023.
3 Williamson, AM & Feyer, AM. Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. Occupational & Environmental Medicine Journal 57(10); 2020. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.57.10.649
4 Al-Mekhlafi, A et al. The relationship between fatigue and driving performance: A review and directions for future research. Journal of Critical Reviews 7(14); 2020. Available from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/THE-RELATIONSHIP-BETWEEN-FATIGUE-AND-DRIVING-A-AND-Al-Mekhlafi-Isha/dd79e7c185d2da996520e18f0521f7d0045976aa
5 Pignatiello, G et al. Decision fatigue: A concept analysis. Journal of health psychology 25(1); 2020. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053187635
6 DelRosso, L & Han, F. 2025 Theme: Make Sleep Health a Priority. World Sleep Society;
2025. Available from: https://worldsleepday.org/toolkit