8/14/2023 0 Comments Fallen army atc kuwait![]() ![]() A majority of military-focused studies on the impact of sleep on next-day operating performance are limited to self-report and/or only capture impact pre- and post- deployment or at a single time point. Here, we cover results from both clinical and preclinical studies, highlighting military relevant literature where possible. The US Army Field Manual (FM) 6–22.5 further recognizes the importance of sleep and provides guidance on how to implement preventative measures for decreasing sleep disturbances, as well as providing military leaders direction on how to cope and counterbalance periods of insufficient sleep/disrupted sleep due to operational contingencies through evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies. For instance, the US Army’s P3 highlights that adequate sleep, physical activity and nutrition are essential for increasing and sustaining mental and physical performance. This review is written at a time when US military leaders are giving increased attention to the critical importance of sleep for next-day performance and long-term physical and mental health across a military career. Although there are educational resources in place for optimizing sleep in military personnel (e.g., Army Office of the Surgeon General’s Performance Triad (P3) initiative), poor sleep hygiene in the long-term can increase sleep problems co-morbid with physiological and psychological issues that include: cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mood disorders. ![]() Achieving adequate amounts of restorative sleep is an ongoing problem that is critical for reasons of personal safety, unit performance, and even a matter of national security. Service members are notorious for sleeping at any given opportunity, and often fall asleep quickly in non-traditional, noisy environments. Sleep must be properly calibrated and carefully considered during nearly every aspect of one’s military career. We recognize a critical gap in research involving service members, but provide tailored interventions for military health care providers based on the large body of research in health care and public service workers. ![]() We then propose targeted pharmacological and non-pharmacological countermeasures to optimize performance that are mission- and symptom-specific. We focus on mission requirements of night shift work, sustained operations, and rapid re-entrainment to time zones. We present the current state of science in human and animal models specific to service members during- and post-military career. Increased co-morbidity and mortality are compounded by traumatic brain injury resulting from blunt trauma, blast exposure, and highly physically demanding tasks under load. Other physiologic and psychologic diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease, and dementia have also been associated with chronic, insufficient sleep. In the long-term, chronic insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disorders have been associated with other sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and parasomnias). Insufficient sleep and resulting fatigue compromises personal safety, mission success, and even national security. The significant mental and physical derangements caused by degraded metabolic, cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, and cognitive health often result from insufficient sleep and/or circadian misalignment. These stressful environments present unique challenges for service members attempting to achieve consolidated, restorative sleep. The military lifestyle often includes continuous operations whether in training or deployed environments. ![]()
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