[450knotOffice]

Martin, you don't know squat about this well researched and documented issue. People aren't choosing to fall asleep, they just are (other than the planned naps - one pilot at a time, which is OK when the situation warrants it, even if you don't think so). Pilot fatigue is real and it's causes are well documented. Crossing multiple time zones, operating on the "back" side of the clock when one's circadian rhythm is not adjusted to those hours, continuous pervasive single tone "white" noise for hours on end (the sound of the air stream rushing past the cockpit creates this and is typically much louder than in the cabin), darkness, lack of stimuli (believe it or not, the cruise workload for hours on end is basically very, very low - simple monitoring is about it), and working multiple back-side-of-the-clock 12 hours shifts while trying to force yourself to sleep during the day when your body is not adapted to it. All of these and many others cause this phenomenon to occur. And I'll say it again, when it happens to these guys, it's unintended - the brain just decides to "check out" and falls asleep.

There is no comparison to most jobs (your included, I am sure). The factors involved are on a completely different level.