3 ms·

'Sleeping time' on a plane is fairly independent of actual time outside. It's when the crew want a subdued, calm and restful (and hopefully asleep) cargo of pas

by panacea 14y ago

'Sleeping time' on a plane is fairly independent of actual time outside. It's when the crew want a subdued, calm and restful (and hopefully asleep) cargo of passengers. It's akin to hanging black curtains in a babies room to ensure the best chance they'll sleep for as long as possible before crying for mother's milk (or another scotch and dry).

petercooper 14y ago
So, essentially, it's not about shutting the window because it's dark, but ensuring the window is shut before it gets light again?
- panacea 14y ago
  I'm only speculating, sorry, as someone who's spent a lot of time on planes. ...but I've observed a fairly obvious system of attempting to regulate sleeping patterns on planes independent of outside time. Setting a slightly unnatural 'pattern' to a flight with timed refreshments, meals, sleepy time etc. Presumably to provide a sense of 'natural' sleep/wake cycles and also to manage the cargo so the flight crew can also rest as required. The blinding light on the horizon coming in full bore at right angles, when passengers are supposed to be sleeping is probably an issue, but I suspect that having the blinds drawn even when dark is a psychological 'it's sleepy time, so sleep... so the crew can chill out too' is another thing.
  - petercooper 14y ago
    That seems like a good explanation. My circadian rhythms are shot with a decade of all nighters and free wheeling around the clock so I might not be as sensitive to these techniques :-)
- snowwrestler 14y ago
  That is how it was explained to me by a flight attendant. Obviously it doesn't matter if the blinds are down when it is dark outside, but the sun will come up sooner than some sleeping people expect/want it to. And if you happen to fall asleep with your blind up, by the time you wake up to put it down, it will be too late--the light will already be flooding in on everyone else. A seat light is much dimmer and more focused than sunlight flooding in through an open window, so it's less disturbing to sleeping passengers. On flights where it was known that we would be landing in darkness or dusk, they didn't care if the blinds were up--since the passengers would have to wake up to egress anyway.

by panacea 14y ago

petercooper 14y ago

So, essentially, it's not about shutting the window because it's dark, but ensuring the window is shut before it gets light again?

panacea 14y ago
I'm only speculating, sorry, as someone who's spent a lot of time on planes. ...but I've observed a fairly obvious system of attempting to regulate sleeping patterns on planes independent of outside time. Setting a slightly unnatural 'pattern' to a flight with timed refreshments, meals, sleepy time etc. Presumably to provide a sense of 'natural' sleep/wake cycles and also to manage the cargo so the flight crew can also rest as required. The blinding light on the horizon coming in full bore at right angles, when passengers are supposed to be sleeping is probably an issue, but I suspect that having the blinds drawn even when dark is a psychological 'it's sleepy time, so sleep... so the crew can chill out too' is another thing.
- petercooper 14y ago
  That seems like a good explanation. My circadian rhythms are shot with a decade of all nighters and free wheeling around the clock so I might not be as sensitive to these techniques :-)
snowwrestler 14y ago
That is how it was explained to me by a flight attendant. Obviously it doesn't matter if the blinds are down when it is dark outside, but the sun will come up sooner than some sleeping people expect/want it to. And if you happen to fall asleep with your blind up, by the time you wake up to put it down, it will be too late--the light will already be flooding in on everyone else. A seat light is much dimmer and more focused than sunlight flooding in through an open window, so it's less disturbing to sleeping passengers. On flights where it was known that we would be landing in darkness or dusk, they didn't care if the blinds were up--since the passengers would have to wake up to egress anyway.