Warriors Sleep Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks Laboratory Stephen James, PhD Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks Laboratory and Sleep and Performance Research Center Washington State University - Spokane

Where?

(Upper Gereshk Valley) Helmand Province (Upper Gereshk Valley)

Helmand Province

Casualties

Sleep

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs SLEEP

Managing Fatigue

Sleep Stress Nutrition Exercise Health & Wellness Lab… Steve… (background and research interests) Lois… (“””””)

Research Approach

Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks Impact of Work Hours on Police Officer Performance, Health & Safety Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks 6/16/2018 GOAL: Understand impact of human factors and training on operational performance Human Factors Training Operational Performance (c) Bryan Vila, Ph.D.

Fatigue vs. Alcohol Impairment Studies compared effects of fatigue vs. alcohol on: Alertness Results: Cognition 17-19 hours awake = .05% BAC Hand-eye coordination 24 hours awake = .10% BAC Task speed Task accuracy Source: Williamson & Feyer 2000, Dawson & Reid 1997, Rohrs 1994

Insufficient sleep degrades brain function: Humans Insufficient sleep degrades brain function: Increases lapses in attention Reduces signal quality in the brain

Fatigue & Decision Making Fatigue interferes with our ability to: Form sound judgments Deal with complex, stressful situations Assess our own fatigue-related impairment Hold items in short term memory

Fatigue & Decision Making Fatigue also: Narrows perception Increases anxiety and fearfulness Reduces perspective and understanding Degrades cognitive ability Increases irritability and hostility

Drowsy Driving Drowsy driving collisions on way home are common—and often deadly—among shift workers. On January 22, 2012, Officer Adalberto Ponce of the Indio Area was traveling home on his personal motorcycle after a 12-hour shift when he was involved in a very serious accident. Officer Ponce failed to notice a truck tractor combination ahead of him traveling at a much slower speed. Officer Ponce fell asleep while riding his motorcycle and ran directly into the back of the trailer without braking.

Chronic Sleep Deprivation elevates risks of: Life-long Fatigue Chronic Sleep Deprivation elevates risks of: Cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases Psychological disorders, depression, suicide and family dysfunction Chronic insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

Sleep Management & Athletic Performance 2014 Winter Olympics

Sleep Management & Operational Performance

Alegedly only required 4 hours sleep a night Sleep cycles through 5 phases, phase I – Alpha (falling asleep), phase II – theta (lightly asleep), phase III and IV – delta (deeply asleep), phase V – REM (dream sleep). Does any one here suffer from insomnia? Actually research shows that “core” sleep – made up of phase III and IV or slow wave / deep sleep – can be obtained in 5 and a half hours, making this the typical minimum amount required for functioning)

Strong age differences Newborns – 16 to 18 hours, ten year olds – 10 hours, teenagers – 8-9 hours, middle age – 7 hours, seventies onwards – 6 and a half hours

Strong individual differences Sleep Hygiene Duration On average 6 ½ to 8 ½ hours Naps count! Strong individual differences Naps ideally 30 mins – don’t go over 40 mins or you’ll be into slow wave or “deep” sleep, which is hard to wake from and leads to sleep inertia.

Human Circadian Rhythms Body Temperature Stress Hormone Growth Hormone

Alertness Alert Drowsy Midnight Noon Midnight

Hours of Sleep Obtained by Time of Sleep Onset Duration in Hours Source: Smiley, 1998

Comfortable sleeping environment Monitor for excessive sleepiness Sleep Hygiene Quality Comfortable sleeping environment Monitor for excessive sleepiness Monitor snoring Screen for sleep disorders if necessary Dark, quiet room, good quality mattress, Not too warm, no distractions Excessive sleepiness… particularly following days off when you should be caught up on sleep Most common sleep disorder in the general population is insomnia Common sleep disorder in LE – Sleep Apnea

Where possible keep regular sleep/nap routine Sleep Hygiene Phase Where possible keep regular sleep/nap routine Get light exposure for 30 minutes upon waking Avoid light exposure for 30 minutes before bed Body temperature Circadian lows = 02:00 04:00 & 14:00 16:00 Circadian highs = 12:00 & 18:00 Light exposure – sun is best (100,000 lux at noon, compared to 500 in a light bulb) but artificial light boxes are great too Light avoidance – sunglasses if outdoors, dim lighting indoors Body temperature – you sleep when your body temp drops and wake when it rises Wakefullness system (circadian cycle) Sleep system (homeostatic pressure)

Where possible establish a sleep routine Nap strategically Sleep Hygiene Key Recommendations: Where possible establish a sleep routine Nap strategically Monitor “sleep debt” and catch up Limit technology before bed Allow sufficient time to wind down after shift Sleep routine – using circadian highs and lows Nap – using circadian highs and lows, limit to 30-40 mins Healthy sleepers will catch up quicker, because the body will transition to phase III, IV and V (or “core” sleep) right away

Limit alcohol, tobacco, & caffeine before bed Sleep Hygiene Key Recommendations: Limit alcohol, tobacco, & caffeine before bed Strategic use of caffeine Don’t train just before bed Keep your bedroom dark and quiet!!! Get a light box for night-shift work Exercise makes your body temp rise… If you get off work at 7am, don’t expect to fall asleep at 8am

Thank You… stevejames@wsu.edu