I am not an expert on sleep disorders or the act of sleeping, but after reading this article it only solidified my opinion on the matter. Sleep is vital not only to the military, but to contractors. A lack of sleep could be a contributor to mental disorders and to poor decision making out in the war zones. Companies would be wise to pay attention to this little talked about aspect of contractor life.
Actually, I would also take it a step further and say that long deployments/contracts are also a contributor to mental disorders and poor decision making out there, because this too is stress on the brain’s processes. But that discussion requires a different post–this post is about sleep.
The article below mentioned some key things that military folks experience as factors for a lack of sleep that also apply to contractors. From drinking Monster Energy Drinks and Rip Its, to playing video games and hanging out on the Internet late into the night, there are many distractions that keep the brain and body awake. Not to mention the day to day combat and operations tempo that both military and contractors experience.
What’s funny is that I found an article on FJ that actually talked about a military program to keep soldiers awake and operating efficiently with little sleep. My commentary on that piece was spot on and I still stand by it. Sleep is vital and it must be a part of the operational planning if possible. To depend on drugs to keep effective is a dangerous path to go down. What I think is smarter is an emphasis on 7 to 8 hours of sleep in this current article, and to me that is the best solution to keep effective.
The other interesting angle on this is that contractors are usually on their own after their shift or whatever, and free to do what they want to do. That means watching a movie, playing video games, working out, going to the range, or just hanging out with the bros. But sleep seems to always be the ‘uncool’ thing to do when it comes to the list of things to do in your off time. I suggest otherwise and you must make sleep a priority.
My sleep goals for overseas contracting are simple. My room or bunk is a place for sleeping. If I have a room, I blacken it out completely, set the temperature gauge to a cool setting, and go to bed at the same time every night (or day for day shift). I always try to shoot for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every time I lay down. Oh and I cut off my caffeine intake and eating about two hours prior to sleeping, or at least try to.
Now for contracts with very little in the way of accommodations or privacy, that is a little tougher. You might be stuck near someone that snores, and if you are a light sleeper, that can be hell. It might be very hot or cold and extremely difficult to just sleep, and especially if you are having to wake up for guard duty at odd hours. All I can say with these scenarios is to ‘build a snowmobile’ and figure out an innovative way to get that sleep. Make a good bed and find a safe but quiet place to sleep. Have a sleep ritual and do whatever it takes to pay your sleep bill. Because if you do not, it will definitely impact your job performance in a negative way out there.
Also, for those of you who are looking for some advice on sleeping, Angela Benedict from the Military Healing Center has some good pointers for you. I posted an article she wrote awhile back on the subject and feel free to contact her if you would like to add some more tools to your ‘sleeping tool kit’. –Matt
Sleep Deprivation and Operational Effectiveness
Military’s Sleep-reduction Program
Lack of sleep could lead to bigger problems for U.S. troops, researchers warn
By SETH ROBBINS
February 5, 2011
Soldiers often find it hard to get a quality night’s sleep when deployed to a combat zone, and doctors think this lack of sleep could lead to long-term mental problems. Some researchers think sleep deprivation could be a cause of the high suicide rate among military members.
Researchers are finding that longtime sleep deprivation can have devastating consequences, including chronic insomnia and psychological disorders.
Especially vulnerable are downrange troops on repeated deployments, experts say.
Army doctors now recognize that sleep-deprived troops can be a danger to themselves on the battlefield, with slower reaction times, fuzzy memories and impaired judgment. But as suicides continue to spike within the military and more servicemembers are diagnosed with PTSD, some researchers and doctors have focused on sleep deprivation as a possible root cause of those issues as well.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dave Grossman, a former West Point psychologist who has written and lectured extensively on the psychological impact of combat, is convinced that chronic sleep loss is contributing to the rising suicide rate in the military.
Suicide “is a very complex topic,” Grossman said. “But this chronic sleep deprivation is the new factor, a major new factor.”