Sleep Management User's Guide
Sleep Management User's Guide
Sleep Management User's Guide
,-A267 7461
DTIC
ELECTE
AUGJ,0 19931
P. Naitoh
T. L. Kelly
II
Paul Naitoh
Tamein Lisa Kelly
AvdPCIdld
Report No. 92-28, slupported by the Naval Medical Research and Development
Command, Department of the Navy, under work unit 62233N MM33P30.002-6005. The
views expresoed iLn thio article are those of the authors and do not reflect the
official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, the D~rep3a-- nent of
Defense, or the U.S. Government. Approved for public release; distribu..'ion is
unlimited.
Table of Contents
Page
APPENDICES
2
Summary
Sleep management is the study of sleep, its effects on personnel, and methods to
satisfy sleep requirements under demanding work schedules. Sleep logistics is
the application of sleep management to military operations. The objective of
sleep logistics is to ensure that fighting men and women at all levels obtain
sufficient sleep to maintain combat effectiveness. In the past, major battles
usually occurred during the day due to the limitations of night visibility and
unreliable equipment (which inhibit target detection and classification
capabilities). Technological advances diminish these obstacles, such that combat
can occur both day and night. Sleep loss can result, making sleep logistics an
important issue. Special warfare missions frequently involve night work and
arduous o'>_rational schedules. This user's guide explains selected sleep
management techniques for use during military operations, with particular
emphasis on special operations missions. The guide will assist field commanders
in using sleep logistics to prevent compromise of mission accomplishment due to
sleep deprivation. It also provides basic information about the need for sleep
and consequences to behavior and mood when that need goes unsatisfied.
Additionally, the guide provides techniques for assessing severity of sleep debt
and compensating for its ill effects. The maost important steps to be taken for
effective sleep management are to: a) prepare a work/rest-sleep plan to meet
sleep needs; and b) employ self-diagnostic techniques to detect and compensate
for the effects of sleep debt. Key facts and recommendations for sleep
management are listed, along with countermeasures to the effects of sleep loss.
3
SLEEP MANAGERS' QUICK REFERENCF -- KEY FACTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5
If sleep deprivation cannot be avoided, be aware of and plan for its
effects:
* Know the individual sleep loss tolerances of the personnel under
your command.
* Realize that self-observation deteriorates with sleep loss. Combat
unit members may be unaware of significant impairment, so
institution of countermeasures should be based on the known degree
of sleep deprivation, not on whether people feel they need them.
* Allow more time than usual for completion of all activities.
* Assign the most sleep deprived individuals to self-paced,
interesting, and/or easy jobs.
• Critical activities may require increased numbers of personnel.
* Effective communication will require increased effort. Always
confirm orders by repeating them aloud, and as sleep loss
progresses, write orders down.
* Be aware of circadian rhythms. All sleep loss effects will be worst
during the early morning hours (of the time zone to which you are
adapted).
* Physical activity may temporarily counteract sleepiness, but
activities will seem more difficult than usual, and sleepiness and
fatigue will be increased afterwards.
* Sleep may be stored to some extent, thus longer than usual sleep
periods (but less than ten hours) may be beneficial.
* Early bedtimes produce better results than later rising to increase
sleep period.
6
SECTION 1 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
This user's guide explains the principals and applications ot sleep
management.
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this user's guide is to provide basic information for field
comunanders about the need for sleep and consequences to behavior and mood when
that need goes unsatisfied. The user's guide outlines the best available
techniques for preventing excessive sleep loss, determining the severity of
sleep debt, and countering the ill effects of sleep loss so that military
objectives can be achieved. This user's guide is based upon two decades of sleep
research conducted by the Naval Health Research Center (NAVHLTHRSCHCEN), San
Diego, California.
7
SECTION 2 SLEEP AND SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Section 2 describes the normal sleep/wake cycle of human beings and reviews
the effects of various disruptions to this cycle.
each nint. Every aspect of each individual (physical and mental performance,
mood, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, etc.) shows a characteristic
variation over a 24-hour cycle. These 24-hour variations are called "circadian
rhythms."
Generally, a person will work most effectively in the afternoon and evening
(1400 to 2000), although memory processes may peak somewhat earlier; this is
called the "circadian peak." The time of least effective work is in the early
morning hours (0200 to 0600), or the "circadian trough." Figure 1 represents
speed and performance accuracy for a mental task over two days and nights without
sleep. The subjects were Basic Underwater Demolition/Sea, Air, Land (BUD/SEAL)
students who had successfully completed Phase 1 training. The physical
characteristics of this population closely resemble those of SEALs (Beckett et
al., 1989). For accuracy (percent correct), higher numbers represent better
performance. Speed (reaction time) is presented as the inverse (1/sec), so that
higher numbers represent better performance for this measure as well.
FIGURE 1
S{8
Percent Correct
00 -n f
C),U ("1 0
MON 1435- C:
TUE 0845- m
1130-
1445- (n • c i
1730-
2045 C C_
.
S1130-
2330-
TWU 0245- m 0
-- '
0530-
0845-
17/30 (n
1130
1445 ')
2045- ..
1130 b
Speed (1/sec)
8A
2. 1 S leep___pr ivat ion
Sleep deprivation can be totol or partial. Total sleep deprivation
involves n1o sleep for 24 hours or more. In military operations, this can occur
during prolonged, intense operations. Often, higher rankinq personnel are more
likely to go without sleep because they feel their duties ac'e the most critical
and cannot be fulfilled by others. Par.adoxically, this sense of duty can result
inl perfor-mance impairment, compromising the very goals they sought to achieve by
denying themselves sleep.
Partial sleep deprivation involves anything less than the "usual" amount
of sleep a given individual requires. Sleep requirements vary from person to
person, but the average ideal sleep period is seven to eight hours each night.
Must people can] restrict sleep to four to five hours per night for weeks (or even
mon~ths) without major effects on cognitive, physical, and motor performance,
although mood and motivation may suffer. As sleep is cut back beyond this,
performance usually suffers. With special prolonged training, seone people have
learned to maintain performance on only three hours of sleep a day, divided into
several nap periods. Whether or not this can be accomplished without prolonged
traini~ng has not yet been fully researched.
Sleep deprivation is cumulative. A little deprivation over many days ran
add up. A detailed description of signs and symptoms of sleep depr.ivation is
presented in Section 4.0.
2.2 Np
Circadian rhythms apply to sleep as well as performance. Just as work
per-formance is wor:st at night, sleep is least effective during the day. That is,
a given amount of sleep taken during the day will probably be less recuperative•
than the same amount during the night. Sleep is most effective when taken in a
single, continuous period rather than manly short naps; however, nap sleep can be
valuable. When total sleep deprivation is reduced to part-ial sleep deprivation
vi~a naps, the [ike.]. ihooo of improving performance, and therefore operations
succ~ess, is increased. There i~s evidence that people can, learn to nap
effectively with pr'actice. It is important to be aware that "resting" is not the
same as sleeping. Onl~y act~ual sleep can satisfy the body's need for sleep and
r~everse thle effects of sleep deprivation. Merely resting, even in bed with eyes
c:]osed, does nut •Lu I I.] the riced for sleep.
may show more severe or prolonged sleep inertia. Also, unusually pr'olonged sleep
periods (more than 10 hours) may be followed by a period of severe sleep inertia.
Unlike most civilian environments, combat may requirte participation in
complex and important behaviors immediately upon awakening. The possibility of
sleep inertia mast be taken into account in deciding when and for how long
personnel may sleep. It must also be a determinant in assigning activities to
personnel who have just awakened (awake less than five to ten minutes).
10
SECTION 3 SUSTAINED OPERATIONS AND SLEEP MANAGEMENT
Section 3 defines sustained operations and aleep management.
11
3.2 Sleep Manaaement Recommendations
Sleep management provides ways to reduce sleepiness and the accumulation
of fatigue during CWEs. Using mission scenario operatiur. guidelines, periods of
available sleep and total number of possible sleep hours must be determined.
Since changes in operational requirements are inevitable, it is recommended that
several work/rest-sleep plans be prepared for all phases of an operation; the
best plan can be adopted for altered requirements.
Predeployment Phase. Many people tend to live under conditions of mild
sleep deprivation, never getting quite as much sleep as they really need. Data
suggest sleep may be stored to some extent. Thus, the week before a period of
intense work is not the time for personnel to put in late nights, either for work
or for fun. Instead, longer-than-usual sleep periods (no more than 10 hours)
would be beneficial. Early bedtimes produce better results than later rising
t imes.
Also, personnel must become familiar with the surroundings and conditions
under which they will sleep. For example, some people may have to sleep in
chemical-protective garments. If sleep in such unusual conditions is anticipated
in forthcoming operations, sleep management requires that personnel practice
sleeping under these conditions during the predeployment phase. Similarly, good
sleep managers will try out anticipated work/rest-sleep schedules before an
operation. For example, if personnel will be working predominantly at night
during a mission, it may be helpful to convert to a night-work/day-slaep cycle
(relative to your destination time zone) for a period preceding deployment.
Deployment Phase. During the deployment phase, sleep quality can be
reduced by time pressures, traveling in uncomfortable vehicles, and changes in
time zone and climate. Preplanned work/rest-sleep schedules should be adopted
and followed as closely as possible so that combat unit members may be fully
combat effective.
Pre-combat Phase. As discussed in Sections 2.0 and 2.4, the body has a
circadian rhythm associated with the time zone to which it is adapted. If
deployment involves rapid transfer across more than one or two time zones, some
degree of jet lag will occur. When there is a week or more delay between combat
zone arrival and actual combat, personnel cart adjust to the new time zone.
However, when there is no delay, it may be best to stay with the work/rest-sleep
pattern of the home base. In that case, combat unit members will not try tc'
adjust their circadian rhythms to local time. Possible techniques for
accelerating circadian adjustments will be discussed later in this manual.
Physiological and mental efficiency are influenced by the degree of
adjustment or lack of adjustment to the local day/night cycle. For example,
combat unit members working in the afternoon by local time may physiologically
be working at 0200 to 0600 hours by home base time. Thus, witho L adjustment to
12
local time, daytime performance would be poor, since 0200 to 0600 hours is the
circadian low point in performance efficiency. Leaders should be aware of this
inefficiency and plan the workload accordingly.
Combat Phase. By using a work/rest-sleep plan, the sleep manager can
avoid a situation where all personnel are physically and mentally exhausted at
the same time. However, operational demands may prevent adoption of optimal
work/rest-sleep and shift-work plans, and personnel will often experience
significant sleep loss. Counterdegradation measures can help under these
circumstances.
If the operation requirements make sufficient sleep impossible, personnel
should take advantage of any lull in combat to nap. Effective napping means
sleeping, not just resting.
Uninterrupted sleep for as little as 10 minutes may partially recover
alertness and help maintain job performance. However, the risk of sleep inertia
with naps of less than ten minutes (sor. Section 2.3) must be acknowledged,
especially during the combat phase. The sleep manager must balance the negative
effects of sleep (lost man-hours and sleep inertia), and the positive effect
(improved ability to perform a job after sleep).
Post-combat Phase. Immediately following an operation, combat unit members
should be allowed to sleep for up to 10 hours. Longer periods of sleep are not
desirable, as they tend to cause severe sleep inertia (see Section 2.3) and delay
getting back to normal schedules. Sleep lost during the operation need not be
replaced hour-for-hour. After one or two long recovery sleep periods, duration
should be within the normal range for subsequent sleep periods. The sleep
manager should be aware that sleep inertia lasting longer than five minutes, and
increased susceptibility to naps may occur during the week following SUSOPS.
13
SECTION 4 PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION
Sleep management will: (a) prevent degradation in performance, mood, and
work motivation by devising the best work/rest-sleep plan for any operation; (b)
identify the symptoms of sleep deprivation and increase combat unit awareness of
those symptoms; and (c) overcome degradation by reallocation of jobs and use
performance aids.
14
Failure to Complete Routines. Sleep loss causes carelessness toward such
routines as drying feet, changing socks, or filling up canteens whenever water
becomes available. Confirmation of verbal orders by repeating them aloud (the
standard operating procedure) becomes automatic, without effect, and eventually
disappears altogether.
Impaired Task Performance. Effectiveness in performing assigned tasks is
significantly lowered when CWEs exceed 24 hours. For example, after a 36-hour
CWE, a combat unit may be able to perform only 50% of the average message
coding/decoding work output expected in a normal workday. Similarly, members of
a combat unit may be able to detect only 70% of incoming signals. Task
performance is degraded due to impaired short-term memory; decreased ability to
concentrate; and intrusive, irrelevant, dream-like thoughts. Performance errors
most frequently result from failure to respond to task demands (errors of
omission); however, inaccurate responses to task demands (errors of commission)
also occur. Speed of reading written documents slows down. Comprehension is
good after sleep loss; however, combat unit members may experience difficulty in
remembering the directives in documents. Impaired performance follows a
circadian rhythm. The worst performances occur during early morning hours of the
time zone to which the person is adjusted.
Physical Exertion. Physical work performance is accompanied by a
subjective feeling of physical exertion ranging from very light to very
strenuous. The perception of exertion also follows a circadian pattern. In the
early morning hours, combat unit members may feel that more effort is required
to work at the same physical workload than if it were performed later in the day.
Sleep loss exaggerates this phenomenon so that combat unit members may want to
stop work because of the increased sensation of physical exertion. However, one
can continue working without causing physical harm.
Lack of Insight. In the ordinary, non-sleep-deprived state, insights into
our own behavior coincide fairly closely with the perceptions of others. If the
inadequate performance of a combat unit member is corrected, that person will
quickly remedy the problem because he recognizes it. However, with sleep loss,
the power of self-observation deteriorates so that combat unit members become
unaware of performance problems and may not even r(,cognize them when pointed out.
Failed Verbal Communication. Failed verbal communication is caused by
attention lapses combined with impaired short-term memory. Serious consequences
can occur when field commanders are afflicted.
Since sleep-deprived individuals fail to remain continuously attentive to
ongoing discussions, their conversation may become fragmented, wander, and
contain repetitive phrases and ideas. Impatience and/or weariness due to sleep
loss makes verb.il communication very difficult and tends to result in
misinterpretation. Members of the combat unit are less likely to have
misunderstandings if they are asked questions with the answers cross-checked.
15
Failed verbal communications can cause orders to be ignored. A sense of
numbness, omission of routines, arid impaired short-term memory can also
contribute to ignoring of orders.
Bickering is a manifestation of irritability caused by sleep loss.
However, bickering has one positive aspect: it shows that sleep-deprived
individuals are still talking to each other, exchanging orders and messages. The
frequency of bickering increases with increased sleep loss, up tc a point. It
decreases when sleep-deprived individuals begin to have difficulty continuing to
talk. As long as bickering continues, sleep-loss effects are not severe. A
subsequent decline in overall message exchanges and the amount of bickering is
a symptom of serious sleep loss. When bickering decreases, especially after a
period of increased bickering, individuals may be in a state of mental
ýxhaustion.
Signs of Jet Lag. As previously discussed, jet lag is commonly experienced
after rapidly crossing three or more time zones. The physiological, performance,
mood, and sleep effects of jet lag can compound the effects of sleep deprivation.
The presence or absence of jet lag must be considered when assessing the status
of combat unit members.
Signs of shift-work Fatigue. Some work/rest-sleep schedules cause
performance degradations similar to those caused by sleep loss and jet lag. A
"normal" work/rest-sleep schedule calls for an 8-hours-on/16-hours-off schedule
(i.e., 8 hours on duty, 16 hours off duty, with about 7 to 8 hours of continuous
sleep).
It is often necessary to use shift-work in a military operation, as the
available manpower pool is relatively fixed. Usually, the simplest way to plan
for shift-work is to divide available manpower into two or three teams, where
each team includes the supervision, skill-mix, and number of people necessary to
accomplish the task. These teams rotate, providing workers around the clock.
With three teams, a basic 8-hours-on/16-hours-off schedule can be established.
If only two teams can be formed, the workload per team will go up (i.e., a 12--
hours-on/12-hours-off schedule), and the length of rest periods will be shortened
correspondingly. occasionally, non-24-hour cycles (e.g., 8-hours-on/8-hours-off)
are necessary. However, such schedules can produce more stress and fatigue than
longer shifts with sleep available at the same time of day during each 24-hour
cycle. The work/rest-sleep plan must balance the demands of the task to be
accomplished against the fatigue (and resulting performance impairment.) expected
to accumulate. The physical signs of serious sleep loss are:
* Vacant stare - "glazed" eyes
* Blood-shot eyes
• Pale skin
• Body sways upon standing; sudden dropping of chin upon sitting
Intermittent loss of hand grip strength
16
* Walking into obstacles and ditches
* Poor personal hygiene
* Very slow heart rate
* Loss of interest in surroundings
• Slurred speech
LM............ 17
I
commanders should be prepared to deal with some individuals who cannot sleep
during the pre-miss on and mission phases. Individuals who are poor sleepers in
general will have worse sleeping problems under the increased stress and
disruption before and during a military operation. Effective use of sleep
training techniques can improve sleep under all circumstances. Sleep training
techniques are discussed in Section 6.
18
SECTION 5 SLEEP MANAGEMENT IN FIELD TRAINING
Sleep management is just one of many problems a field commander faces. As
the unit goes through predeployment, deployment, and combat phases, sleep
management may appear to have a low priority when compared with other tasks.
However, it is the responsibility of the field commander to see that combat unit
members comply with sleep management recommendations. If the field commander is
non--compliant with sleep discipline, sleepiness and sluggishness may result in
hazards to the combat unit. The best wdy to remain alert and responsive to
changing tactical environments is to plan for sleep. Taking naps during SUSOPS
is not a sign of low fighting spirit or weakness; rather, it indicates foresight.
19
readiness. This is especially important when another comhat mission phase is
expected to follow shortly. The first post-combat/post-mission sleep period
should be allowed to extend either to spontaneous awakening or for 10 hours
(whichever comes first). This first recovery sleep should be arranged so that
there will be an awake period of 12 hours or longer before the next sleep period.
Inadequate sleep management will delay re-adjustment to a routin3 work/rest-sleep
schedule.
LM"
20
A sleep log can be very simple. Sleep managers can write down the length
of time combat unit members have slept, or the time sleep begins and the time of
awakening. It should also be indicated whether or not combat unit members did
moderate or heavy physical work.
An example of a convenient sleep log is included in Appendix 1. The upper
and lower parts of the page represent the front and back of a 5" x 8" index card.
By adding up the number of 30-minute boxes marked with a line to indicate sleep,
it is possible to calculate the approximate amount of sleep that occurred in the
given 24-hour period. If a sleep log card is filled out each day during an
operation, the degree of accumulated sleep debt can be estimated at any time
(Total Sleep/Number of Days = Sleep per Day; this should be at least 4 hours per
day). You should probably consider a given sleep debt more severe if the
majority of sleep has been taken in many small segments rather than a single
sleep period per 24 hours.
The questions on the front of the card are phrased to fit a single sleep
per 24-hour pattern, which may well not be the case under operational conlitions.
However, they indicate general types of information that may be valuable to sleep
managers in making sleep logistics decisions.
Knowing how long it takes a person to fall asleep and whether that sleep
is uninterrupted gives you a picture of how efficiently a given sleep period is
being used. If someone has a two-hour period for sleep, but one hour is used
waiting to fall asleep with repeated awakenings, then half the possible sleep
time is wasted. In such a situation, the sleep environment should be improved
if possible. Also, the individual might conbider specifically training his sleep
habits when he is out of the operational situation, to prevent such problems
during future operations.
How rested a person feels, and whether there is a perceived need for more
sleep, relate both to how restful sleep is, and the severity of the accumulated
sleep debt. The mood scale serves as an abbreviated estimate of the more complex
mood scale, should that not be available. Hours of work in the last 24 hours
provides an indication of how much sleep limitation is based on workload, and how
much leeway there might be for additional sleep. The "Remarks" section can be
used for recording the presence and quantity of physical exertion.
The sleepiness scale on the back of the card (lower portion of the page)
measures sleepiness subjectively. The way we feel during the late morning and
afternoon of a day following a good night's sleep with no sleep deprivation in
the recent past, is represented by response (1). The way we feel in the middle
of the night after many days without sleep is represented by response (7).
Subjective sleepiness can be very helpful in assessing the impact of sleep
deprivation. However, military personnel (perhaps particularly elite groups such
as SEALs) nviy be reluctant to admit feeling sleepy, considering it evidence of
weakness. Thi- caxi make the subjective sleepiness measure worthless. Sleep
21
managers need to convince those under their commands of the importance of
answering this sleepiness scale objectively and honestly. With accurate answers,
this scale can help assess whether a sleep plan is adequately fulfilling the
sleep needs of personnel.
Mood Scale. A field commander should watch the moods of combat unit
members for early signs of accumulating sleep debt. Since leaders know these
people, they will probably be aware when their moods change from positive and
energetic to negative, jittery, and defiant.
A more objective means of determining how rapidly combat unit members'
moods are changing is a mood scale, such as the NAVHLTHRSCHCEN Mood Scale
(Append.x 2). The NAVHLTHRSCHCEN Mood Scale consists of 19 positive and 10
negative adjectives describing moods.
Once personnel become familiar with the mood scale questionnaire, it will
take less than a minute to score positive and negative changes in mood. The
questionnaire should be administered to combat unit members before an operation
begins, as well as while it is in progress. This enables the field commander to
detect subsequent increases in negative mood, and decreases in positive moods,
by comparing with the baseline phase.
Plus 7 Task. The effects of inadequate sleep can sometimes be masked when
personnel put forth extra effort toward their assigned tasks. This is laudable
evidence of professionalism. However, this masking may be misleading and may
prevent appropriate preventive measures. It may appear that sleep loss is not
affecting personnel; yet a short time later, combat unit members may show serious
performance degradation.
Moderate physical work and excitement may also mask performance
degradation. However, during the post-physical-work period, combat unit members
will show greater deterioration of cognitive performance. The combined effects
of physical work and sleep loss cause increased fatigue and sleepiness once the
physical activation ind excitement wear off.
The best, way to detect early degradation in mental task performance,
despite such masking, is to have combat unit members do an over-learned task of
a rather boring nature, such as the "Plus 7 Task". The Plus 7 Task tests short-
term memory, which is affected by sleep loss. It reliably detects mental
degradation.
The Plus 7 Task consists of continuous additions. A random number between
b and 9 (for example, 9) is picked. A short mental calculation is performed by
adding 7 to the number (9 f 7 -- 16). The calculation is performed again using
the previous sum (16 A7 = 23). These additions are all done in the head,
remembering the sum and calculating the new sum by adding 7. When combat unit
members can continue to do the Plus 7 Task correctly for one minute or longer
without long pauses, they do not have severe sleep loss effects. If a particular
individual is to be tested, the individual should say thie sum aloud as it i.s
22
calculated. The sleep manager should note how steady and accurate this
individual is in performing the task. Check the accuracy of the answers with a
table listing a sequence of the correct sums (Appendix 3). However, more
important than accuracy is whether a person can do repeated additions without
long pauses. A few minutes of the Plus 7 Task, preferably with eyes closed, will
reveal any mental degradation due to sleep loss.
As with the mood scale, the Plus 7 Task must be administered prior to the
start of the operation to assess baseline performance. Testing should
subsequently be given at least once each 24-hour period, preferably several times
a day. A substantial decrease in the total number of additions completed, as
well as increased number of long pauses or inaccurate additions, indicates
deterioration.
23
There are several stages of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and rapid eye
movement (REM). Many Studies have shown that the total amount of
sleep, not the amount in a specific stage, is most important. The
body will take care of the type of sleep obtained, if sleep time is
available.
24
SECTION 6 SLEEP TRAINING
25
SECTION 7 DRUGS
7.0 Stimulants: Non-operational Use
CaffeLne is a very potent stimulant drug. People who drink caffeinated
beverages late in the day, after dinner, or close to bedtime generally have
impaired sleep. They may have difficulty going to sleep or awaken easily during
the night. They are often able to go to sleep, but the sleep is lightened by the
stimulant. in this case, the person may not be aware of a sleep problem, but may
not feel rested in the morning or may tend to get tired early in the evening.
If more caffeine is used to counter this fatigue, there will be further impaired
sleep. It is important to remember that coffee is not the only source of
caffeine. Most soft drinks and tea contain caffeine, and even chocolate contains
a stimulating caffeine-like drug called theobromine. Many medications also
contain caffeine. A number of over-the-counter pain killers contain caffeine.
All of these products should be avoided after early afternoon when working a
standard daytime-work/nighttime-sleep schedule.
26
7.2 Sedatives
Under most circumstances, sleeping pills are not recommended for military
personnel. In an operational situation, the risk of impairing critical
performance is high. People are basically useless for the first four to six
hours after taking a sleeping pill. Some sleeping pills impair activity the
following day or even longer. Also, many sleeping pills suppress dreaming,
causing less restorative sleep.
Even under non-operational circumstances, sleeping pills are not
recommended. Using sleeping pills over an extended period can cause dependency.
Additionally, sleeping pills can decrease effectiveness of the sleep training
techniques discussed in Section 6.
One possible circumstance where sleeping pills might be appropriate for
military use is with rapid transport, across multiple time zones. When personnel
are deployed to a distant location and need not engage in critical work soon
after arrival, use of a sleeping pill to facilitate sleep during transfer, or
promote sleep synchronized with the new time zone after transfer, might decrease
the fatigue-related effects of jet lag. If effectiveness is demonstrated in
scientific tests, new products may later become available to facilitate sleep
without the side effects of sleeping pills.
Another possible situation where sedatives might be used is to allow sleep
after stimulant ingestion, as was discussed in the preceding section.
27
Most cold and allergy medications can affect either alertr.ess or sleep.
Many antihistamines tend to cause sleepiness. There are antihiztamines that do
not affect the brain (for example terfenadine or Seldane), but they are not
currently available over the counter. If an antihistamine is needed, a physician
should prescribe a non-sedating product. Most decongestants can prodiuce a
stimulant effect. If taken near bedtime, decongestants may impair sleep. When
uncertain whether a particular product contains an antihistamine or a
decongestant, consult a pharmacist.
28
SECTION 8 THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT
Light has two effects on alertness and sleep. First, there is a direct
alertino or energizing effect. When personnel are sleep-deprived, wcrking in a
brightly lit area, preferably in sunlight, will help maintain maximum
performance.
The second effect of light is indirect, via adjustment of circadian
rhythms. Normally, everyone has a slight adjustment to his or her circadian
rhythm each day. Curiously, the natural cycle of the internal circadjan clock
is not actually 24 hours; it is closer to 25 hours. Therefore, without
adjustment, people would gradually
slide in and out of phase with the world,
experiencing periods of jet lag without going anywhere. However, various stimuli
advance the clock each day to keep the body cycling at 24 hours. One of the most
important stimuli is bright-light exposure in the morning, which can be employed
when the circadian rhythm needs more extensive adjustment, as in jet lag. For
example, if
you have flown eastward across six time zones, you now need to be
waking earlier and going to sleep earlier relative to your previous time zone.
Bright-light exposure during the time period corresponding to morning in your
original time zone will tend to push your rhythm forward. With a six-hour shift,
this would correspond to the early afternoon period (i.e., 0700 to 1000 in your
original time zone would correspond to 1300 to 1600 in your new time zone). This
is the time when one should get bright-light exposure to assist in adjusting to
the new time zone. Bright-light exposure during the time period corresponding
to evening in your original time zone, has the reverse effect. Bright-light at
the wrong time tends to cause you to go to sleep and awaken later. Therefore,
after an eastward flight, you would want to avoid evening light. After a
westward flight, you should avoid morning light and seek evening light (again,
remember, "morning" and "evening" are defined by your original time zone).
Special artificial lights are becoming available to facilitate correctly timed
bright-light exposure under conditions when natural sunlight is unavailable.
Light visors and light masks to provide controlled, individual light exposure are
currently being tested and may be helpful during transport, but we need more
definitive studies.
Controlled light exposure can also be used to shift a person's circadian
rhythm deliberately out of phase with local time. For example, someone who needs
to work the night shift might want to be as much as 12 hours out of phase with
local time. This is possible with timed bright-light exposure. However, it
requires careful protection from bright-light exposure at the wrong time of day
and conformance to the new sleep-wake cycle (i.e., you can't work the night shift
during the week,play by day on the weekend, and expect your body to be in phase
with your work schedule). Under controlled military conditions, this may be
possible. Exposure to artificial bright light could be used first to shift the
circadian rhythm to the new work/rest schedule and then continued (with daily
treatment during the morning) to maintain synchronization with that schedule.
29
SECTION 9 CONCLUSIONS/SUMMARY
Sleep research at the Naval Health Research Center (and many other research
centers), has concluded that:
1. A total sleep duration of four to five hours per 24-hour period is
the minimum amount required to maintain an acceptable level of
performance (but with poor mood, fatigue, lowered motivation, and
general malaise).
2. All sleep stages contribute equally to recovery from sleep loss.
That is, one sleep stage is as effective as another in removing the
undesirable effects of sleep loss.
3. It is preferable to sleep for a single, uninterrupted period rather
than to take many short sleep episodes. However, short naps (20 to
40 minutes) are better than no sleep at all.
4. The body and its functions are influenced by circadian rhythms.
Sustained operations cause varying degrees of sleep debt, leading to
decreased combat effectiveness and hidden cost in manpower resources. The
process of removing sleep debt is quite similar to that for removing hunger.
Hunger is eliminated by eating food; food logistics work scientifically to reduce
hunger. Similarly, sleep logistics (management) will work to reduce sleep debt.
Sleep management guidelines can help evaluate and prevent the degrading effects
of sleep loss on performance, moods, and motivation to work.
The most important steps to be taken in a non-pharmacologic approach to
sleep management are summarized below:
* First, and most important, prepare a work/rest-sleep plan to meet
sleep needs. Sleep needs are satisfied only by sleeping.
* Second, utilize appropriate self-diagnostic techniques and
performance aids to detect and compensate for sleep loss (sleep
debt).
• Third, make sure personnel have good sleep skills that facilitate
optimum use of opportunities for sleep before, during, and after an
operation.
30
FURTHER READINGS
NOTE: For ease of readability for users of this manual, references used in
preparing this manual are cited only in the bibliography, and not in the
text. Please contact the authors at the address given for further
information about specific reference citations.
Beckett, M.B., Goforth, H.W., & Hodgdon, J.A. Physical fitness of U.S. Navy
special forces team members and trainees. 1989. Technical Report No. 89-29.
Available from: Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California.
Borbely, A. Secrets of Sleep. Basic Books, New York, 1986.
Bourke, D.H. The Sleep Management Plan. Harper, San Francisco, 1990.
Coleman, R.M. Wide Awake at 3:00 A.M.: By Choice or by Chance. W.H. Freeman,
New York, 1986.
Dinges, D., and Broughton, R,, Eds. Sleep and Alertness: Chronobiological,
Behavioral, and Medical Aspects of Napping. Raven Press, 1989.
Dotto, L. Losing Sleep: How Your Sleeping Habits Affect Your Life. William
Morrow, New York, 1990.
Horne, J. Why We Sleep: The Functions of Sleep in Humans and Other Mammals.
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1988.
Meddis, R. The Sleep Instincts. Routledge & Kagan Paul, London and Boston,
1977.
Scott, A.J., Ed. State of the Art Reviews Occupational Medicine: Shiftwork.
Hanley and Belfus, Philadelphia, 1990.
31
i , I I II I I i, , •.
APPENDIX I
SLEEP LOG
A-1
I, s.nnnonpn'cn l duo 1....T n o-!ni i-'iI]in
i, 'yhiltiiip• l I -,nrinrC
[).,y I M•lI
Choose one of the sever stotements below whch best describes your present feelings. How you feel right now.
(7) Almost in reverie; sleep onset soon, losing struggle to rieman awake.
A- 2
APPENDIX 2
NAVHLVHRSCHCEN MOOD SCALE
A-3
NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER
MOOD QUESTIONNAIRE
This 29 item questionnaire (NHRC MQ) uses a four point Likert
type response scale (not at
all = 0; a little 1; quite a bit = 2; extremely = 3). There are two scales reflecting
the bi-factor theory of moods. These scales were derived using the principle
solution on limited data samples. components
The items in these scales and the scale ranges are:
Nýýgative Scale: annoyed, defiant, drowsy, dull, grouchy, jittery, sleopy, sluggish,
tense, tired
A-4
APPENDIX 3
PLUS 7 TASK TABLE
A-5
PLUS 7 TASK TABLE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
15 16 .17 18 19 20 21 22 23
22 23 24 25 26 2 7 28 29 30
29 30 3] 32 33 34 35 36 37
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58
57 58 59 60 61 62 6:3 64 65
64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79
78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93
92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107
106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114
113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121
120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128
127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135
134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142
141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149
148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156
155 156 157 1.58 159 160 161 162 163
162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170
169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177
176 17"7 178 179 180 181 182 183 184
183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191
190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198
19/ 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205
204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212
211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219
218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226
225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233
232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240
239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247
246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254
253 254 255 256 25"7 258 259 260 261
260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268
267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275
274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282
281 282 2833 284 285 286 287 2838 289
288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296
295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303
302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310
309 310 311 :312 313 3.14 315 316 317
316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324
323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331
330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338
337 338 ]39 340 341 342 343 344 345
344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352
351 352 :353 354 356 357 358 359 360
:358 359 360 361 362 363 :364 365 366
365 366 36"7 368 369 370 371± 372 3'/3
372 373 374 375 376 3'17 378 379 380
379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387
386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394
393 394 395 396 397" 398 399 400 40]
400 401. 402 403 404 405 406 407 408
407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415
414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422
A-6
APPENDIX 4
SLEEP QUESTIONNAIRE
A.-7
NHRC SLEEP QUESTIONNAIRE
(8/15/78)
Page 1 Today's Date
Instructions: Please fill in the blanks or circle the answer that best
applies to you. The completion of this questionnaire is voluntary. This
information will. be used for research only, and will not become a part of
your permanent service record. THE QUESTIONS BELOW ARE ABOUT YOUR USUAL
SLEEP NOW.
A-1O
APPENDIX 5
MISSION EXAMPLE
Figures A--I and A-2 show the sleep/wake patterns of participants in a SEAL
training exercise. Sleep periods for each individual across the eight days of
the exercise are marked by lines. The normal sleep periods (2200 to 0600) are
marked by the shaded areas. The graph shows reduced amounts of sleep, with short
fragmented sleep periods often occurring outside of the ideal sleep time.
Participants in the exercise accumulated serious sleep debts. The men in this
exercise felt this was a very difficult schedule and reported that they
experienced extreme fatigue. This is an example of a mission where application
of sleep management might have improved the alertness, mood, and general
performance of the participants.
A-II
ZT-V
t AVG -
A\NY
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60%p%0%0% 0 %0 N0%0f
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a - a W-
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o aw - -V-W-q- ~ ~ ~
- -T-W-4
x w a
fw\ z > x nv . -a'
w --a an_ 2
U GO SIAVN i.ir
ET-V
CN
5.4 <
NC4 a.
N (x
O SAVG 40
u Ava
aeC. aZ 0 >a fl
Pubhc rporr,,g burden for ha *Wkt~ion of informatlon is eanhnated toavseie I hour per response, for avwmtng Inamietiona. se•rchung
nlding the ornie
exianlg dam source, gaitheuing ard mantanirng tOe d*M neded, And crxnj'ering ed mvwa.g &hecoln of linowrwTmon. Send ommwwenm regarding ti
burden eslnmai or any odtwheae of fa miection of Informlon, inruding suggeboCna for rdung this burden, io Waahington Headquanaira Semoma,
Directorai for InformagOn Operalonz " Repons, 1215 Jefferorln Dvis Highway. S&ite 1204, Mrltngton, VA 22202-4302, and to fe Office of Lbuagernent
and Budget, PaperworklFeducon Properc (0704.-0188), Wainglon. DC 20503.,
1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATE COVERED
L_ ,jil]y 1992 FI NA ,
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS
] Ma J ,( ant- U
. O,..'• i.-'5: tu i ,Cl r nt: 6223 IN
P .)rogram Ele m2e1
Special Operations Personnel Work Unit Number:
6. AUTHOR•(S) MM33P30.002-6005
The objective of sleep logist~ics• is Lo ensure that fiqhting men and women
at all levels obtain sufficient sleep to maintain combat. effertLiveriess
Special warfare miss3ions frequently involve night work and ardnous operot ioana
.schedni s. Th.is UnE•_r-'. C;uide expain a - selected sleep marnaqemncnt ,clmi uia
for u.e;• du r Lrii miliLar-y op)erat ions, witl) partL cular emplhasi.s on spr c .i.a1.
ope rat-ianr*
ii.in. mi [Thle Guido will at. flie d coirunandera in using. I ee}
locti.,' ics to )rEI,'eilt c"npromiqe of at J 3 In,ccompli-shimcnt dhin to .1 t',[)
depr i va ti on. In additiLon, it pr ovides.- tr.chn,i us• for as ;ean;111(1 :;ev er/ ty of
1001) dŽbt and a'omipon.-sat.inq f. or it i,j 1 ,1 ec ts.
17 SECURITY CLASSIFICA- 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICA- 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICA- 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT
TION OF REPORT TION OF THIS PAGE "IONOF ABSTRACT
I nc I ass I f I v d lina I as:,s i f Ied lric I amus i I i e, 1in1 i t cd
I nm