Countering Fatigue

  • Published
  • By Air Force Flight Test Center Ground Safety
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Many service members have experienced the long hours, changing schedules and high operations tempo associated with life in today's military. In many cases, fatigue is considered a necessary evil that all airmen endure. While there's no simple answer or magic pill to resolve this problem, below are some time-tested strategies to reduce fatigue.

Sleep is as basic to survival as food and water. Losing as little as two hours can negatively affect alertness and performance. Sleep deprivation affects a person's ability to respond to an emergency. Symptoms can include: impaired judgment, delayed decision-making, memory lapses, slower reaction time, lack of concentration, target fixation and a tendency towards a lousy mood.

Strategic Napping

Since lack of sleep is a huge factor in fatigue, napping can be an extremely effective counter measure. If you find yourself falling asleep, consider taking a nap, but employ sound strategies versus leaving it to chance:

· Avoid sleep inertia by limiting naps to less than 45 minutes. The ideal target is a 30-minute nap.
· If you want to sleep more than 30 minutes, break it into 90-minute cycles. That translates into either a 90-minute or a three hour nap. You'll wake up during a lighter stage of sleep.
· A longer nap helps if you're facing an extended duty day, but it will interfere with your sleep later that night (or day).