Understanding sleep debt can help bolster human performance at the rig

Shift workers, such as drilling rig crews, often suffer from chronic sleep debt, or the cumulative difference between the amount of sleep their bodies need versus the amount they actually get. This sleep debt can lead to an increased risk of safety-related incidents at their work sites, as well as illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. In this video taken from the 2026 IADC Drilling Onshore Conference in Houston on 14 May, Steven Lockley, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at Timeshifter, explained how organizations can apply circadian science to help their employees improve sleep and quality of life while also increasing safety and productivity. He provided a set of actions that HSET and operational leaders can take to help reduce the risks associated with sleep debt and explained why it is important for these leaders to understand the biological limits of shift workers.