Page 97 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2016

An Ongoing Series

Sleep as a Strategy for Optimizing Performance

Angela M. Yarnell, PhD, MS; Patricia Deuster, PhD, MPH

ABSTRACT
Recovery is an essential component of maintaining, the combination of sleep and time spent not training.
sustaining, and optimizing cognitive and physical per- Previous articles in this journal have discussed aspects
formance during and after demanding training and of nutrition and training load for enhancing recovery.
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strenuous missions. Getting sufficient amounts of rest Rest, which may be conceptually the easiest to under-
and sleep is key to recovery. This article focuses on sleep stand, is the hardest to implement. This article focuses
and discusses (1) why getting sufficient sleep is impor- primarily on sleep and we discuss why getting sufficient
tant, (2) how to optimize sleep, and (3) tools available sleep is important and how to optimize sleep, and de-
to help maximize sleep-related performance. Insufficient scribe tools available to help maximize sleep-related
sleep negatively impacts safety and readiness through re- performance.
duced cognitive function, more accidents, and increased
military friendly-fire incidents. Sufficient sleep is linked Why Is Sufficient Sleep Important?
to better cognitive performance outcomes, increased
vigor, and better physical and athletic performance as Like food and water, sufficient sleep is necessary for
well as improved emotional and social functioning. Be- survival. Despite being required for life, getting enough
cause Special Operations missions do not always allow sleep is not necessarily considered as crucial as getting
for optimal rest or sleep, the impact of reduced rest and food and water. Often individuals will ask “what is the
sleep on readiness and mission success should be mini- minimum amount of sleep necessary?” but rarely any-
mized through appropriate preparation and planning. one would dream of asking “how little food or water
Preparation includes periods of “banking” or extend- can I eat or drink?” A focus on getting sufficient sleep
ing sleep opportunities before periods of loss, monitor- may be one of the most important underlying factors for
ing sleep by using tools like actigraphy to measure sleep optimizing performance and well-being.
and activity, assessing mental effectiveness, exploiting
strategic sleep opportunities, and consuming caffeine at The impact of insufficient sleep on safety and readiness
recommended doses to reduce fatigue during periods of is well established: reduced cognitive function, increased
loss. Together, these efforts may decrease the impact of accidents, and increased military friendly fire incidents
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sleep loss on mission and performance. have all been linked to insufficient sleep. Furthermore,
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insufficient sleep, in the form of sleep deprivation (i.e.,
Keywords: actigraphy; caffeine; cognitive; napping; readi- going for longer than 24 hours without sleep), sleep re-
ness; sleep striction (getting much less than the recommend amount
of sleep), and fragmented sleep (interrupted sleep) all
can negatively impact performance and health, and
compromise mission success. This impact is particularly
Introduction
relevant in situations when vigilance, decision-making,
Recovery following demanding training and strenuous critical thinking, and other such cognitive tasks are nec-
missions is essential for maintaining, sustaining, and essary to accomplish the mission. When an individual
optimizing cognitive and physical performance. In the goes without sleep he or she will experience reduced
absence of sufficient recovery, performance will degrade vigilance, diminished ability to problem solve, and de-
quickly. Key ingredients for recovery are dietary intake, creased situational awareness, as well as decreased
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monitoring training load, and rest; the latter represents motivation. Importantly, Fogel et al. have provided
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