U.S. Air Force Is Studying Ways to Improve Sleep

The Air Force is studying sleep habits among Airmen to find ways to improve performance and ensure their readiness to support the mission.

Researchers with the Air Force Research Laboratory 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are looking for ways to better equip Airmen and their leadership with crucial data to ensure that Airmen are getting the necessary rest to maximize mission execution.

A team of human performance experts is looking at sleep and fatigue from several perspectives. They are tracking sleep habits in pilots and other operators, while also evaluating sleep-monitoring technology to ensure its accuracy and ability to work in an operational setting.

“It’s a multi-pronged approach to studying sleep and fatigue,” said Dr. Glenn Gunzelmann, 7llth HPW Airman Systems Directorate training core technical competency lead. “Providing Airmen with information on their sleep patterns and history helps Airmen understand how sleep affects their operational effectiveness. Giving leadership this data also helps inform policy and how to account for sleep needs in their planning.”’

Gunzelmann, along with Lt. Col. Dara Regn, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine internal medicine branch chief, participate in a NATO aircrew fatigue management working group. Regn leads the working group, which also includes Army and Navy researchers. The goal is to pool their expertise and research to address common issues and challenges.

“Our current operations cross over multiple time zones, resulting in circadian rhythm issues, sleep deprivation or insufficient sleep,” Regn said. “As partner nations, we all deal with similar challenges like increased mission tempo, long-range missions and pilot shortages. We are working together to optimize our pilots and bring back the importance of sleep.”

This NATO working group is currently building a “sleep toolbox” for aviators and those who take care of them. The toolbox helps them identify and mitigate sub-optimal sleep habits.

According to Regn, the sleep toolbox will have educational resources on fatigue risk assessment with ways for mitigation. It will also have information on insomnia, including cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and other sleep disorders.

“These resources will be made available through an open source NATO website and secure offline application,” Regn said. “The application allows users to optimize their sleep and is a resource for reliable advice on improving sleep quality in operational settings.”

Similarly, the 711th HPW is also developing an application that can track current and future levels of effectiveness based on an individual’s sleep and wakefulness data.

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