Sleep and Fatigue Issues in Continuous Operations: A Survey of U.S. Army Officers

Abstract

Forty-nine U.S. Army officers with recent combat experience were surveyed to assess their units' sleep patterns and to determine the tactics, techniques, and procedures used to counter the effects of sleep deprivation in their units. Despite Army policy requiring units to develop and implement sleep management plans, nearly 80% of the participants reported they had not been briefed on a sleep management plan during their most recent deployment. Over one half of the respondents reported that fatigue was a problem in their units. During high operational tempo (OPTEMPO), which occupied nearly half of their time in combat, participants report receiving only 4 hr of sleep daily. The vast majority of respondents (82.6%) reported feeling sleep-deprived at least occasionally while at high OPTEMPO. These findings have important implications for the operational readiness of all military units deployed to combat environments.