Fight Fatigue With the Army Aggressive Sleep Strategy
After more than a century of image problems, the nap gets a rebrand thanks to the US Army. Many of our ideas about sleep – and about the people who sleep it – date back to Victorian times, when women were considered physiologically weak, fragile, and prone to fainting, who needed periods of rest and recovery to survive the day. Between tight corsets and rampant “hysteria” – a fictitious diagnosis of a wide range of psychological and physical symptoms associated with “women’s problems” – Victorian women were perceived as fragile and childish, requiring access to sun loungers and recreational therapy.
Not only is naps associated with weakness, it is also viewed as indulgent or lazy – only for those who have had extra time to sleep. So this week, when the Army released the latest version of its holistic health and fitness guide , it was striking to include what the New York Times calls “strategic and aggressive sleep . “ Here’s what you need to know about practice.
How to take a nap like you’re in the army
The section on raising and maintaining preparedness in the updated guide says the following about sleep:
When a normal night’s sleep is not possible due to mission requirements, soldiers can use short, infrequent naps to restore wakefulness and improve performance. When the usually available sleep times are difficult to predict, soldiers can take as long naps as possible.
It is also recommended to take a nap to increase your alertness :
Although the circadian rhythm of wakefulness usually contributes to the 24-hour cycle of daytime wakefulness and nighttime sleep, there is also a temporary daytime “drop” in alertness. This drop becomes especially noticeable in people who have a lot of sleep deprivation (for example, do not get enough sleep regularly). For those who can take advantage of this, an afternoon swim provides the opportunity to get a good day’s sleep to help absorb existing sleep deprivation. Soldiers can generally take naps without significantly disrupting their circadian rhythm of alertness – provided that naps are not so long and not so frequent that they begin to impair their ability to fall asleep at night.
Why new snooze guidelines are important
In addition to guidelines for military personnel, the updated guidance also renames naps as an important tool for mental and physical performance, rather than a luxury.
“The Army understands a thing or two,” Philip Carter, a former soldier who served during the Iraq War and now teaches veteran politics at Georgetown University, told the New York Times . “The old manual looked like something from a 60s PE class. There were many jumpers and wind sprints. This was not in line with what we knew about the fighting. In truth, we know that sleep is critical to making good decisions. ”