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

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


A group of 49 US Army Officers recently returned from combat and attending the Infantry Officers Advanced Course at FT Benning, GA were surveyed to assess the sleep hygiene of their units and to determine the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) they used to reduce the effects of sleep deprivation in their units. Results indicate that despite Army policy, nearly 80% of the study participants had not received a sleep management plan during their most recent deployment. Over half (55%) of respondents reported that fatigue was a problem in their unit. The majority of respondents who received a sleep plan briefing indicated that their unit had done a good job of managing sleep routines (66% with vs. 25% without sleep plan briefing). Attention to the importance of sleep and fatigue management, manifested by sleep plan briefings, seems to be an important means by which units can mitigate fatigue in continuous combat operations. Respondents reported that during their most recent combat deployment,
they spent nearly half (46.7%) of their time at high operational tempo (OPTEMPO). This factor becomes especially important when considering that survey respondents report receiving only four hours of sleep per day during periods when their units are at high OPTEMPO, just over half the amount the report when at low OPTEMPO (4.0 vs. 7.8 hours). The vast majority of respondents (82.6%) report feeling sleep-deprived occasionally, sometimes or all the time while they are at high OPTEMPO.