Oh to sleep! I know that many of you just closed your eyes and sighed because you wish you could. I have always loved sleep even when it hasn’t always loved me. The first time I understood that Warriors have issues sleeping was watching MASH. All the characters, totally exhausted, chose not to sleep due to combat-related nightmares. I then recognized it in one of my Majors, after an OEF deployment, likely Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, who was struggling with sleep and always tired. So, what’s the big deal if we don’t sleep? I’ll sleep when I’m dead. I’ll make it up later.
Why don’t Warriors sleep? The physiological and psychological reasons are many. Sleep issues for Warriors start in their training. Early in Chapter 2, we are taught to sleep lightly so we can be ready to go at a moment’s notice; to be on the razor’s edge even while asleep.
In our tactical training, in Chapter 2, we have a “rest plan.” It really should be called an awake plan, because its purpose is to maintain security, a task only done awake. We sleep in shifts depending upon the “threat.” 50% of personnel awake at all times was a normal rest plan. This meant that you and your battle buddy would rotate sleeping all night long, usually in one-hour shifts. If we slept in a tent with an open flame stove, such as the Yukon stove or Space, Heater Arctic, someone had to be awake at all times; more one-hour shifts in our rest plan.
When we aren’t in a tactical training environment we still don’t get our eight hours of beauty rest. Headquarters offices at every level need manning, 24/7. That means lower ranking Warriors get to watch the phones not ring all night. The Charge of Quarters or CQ. We also put a CQ in our barracks to make sure we aren’t sneaking members of the opposite sex into the barracks or being a drunk fool. PS, the CQ never did his job. Higher ranking Warriors don’t have to be CQs. They get to be Staff Duty NCO or Staff Duty Officer. Same no sleep, different title. All these people get the next day off to catch up on their sleep.
In combat, well, forget sleep without meds. The operational tempo (OPTEMPO) is far higher. Longer days, more days, harsher conditions, no comfy beds and blankets, the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, and higher physical demands all lend themself to sheer exhaustion. Sleep wherever and whenever you can, if you can, means no good pattern of sleep. Many of the recent Forward Operating Bases (FOB) and Combat Out Posts (COP) in Afganistan and the Firebases in Vietnam saw harassing fire, probes and attacks day and night, which is not part of the rest plan. A perfect environment to guzzle a half dozen energy drinks per day, though.
And just when thought it was going to get better, some lingering effects also start to rear their ugly head. The symptoms of PTSD, including nightmares, hypervigilance, flashbacks, and hyperarousal, all won’t let Junior take his nap. Injuries and amputations with real and phantom pain upset the normal sleep patterns on top of that.
So, let’s add up Chapter 2’s effects on Chapter 3. Trained to sleep poorly, sleep patterns routinely upset in garrison, training and in combat along with mental and physical scars to our rest plan equals a recipe for disaster, if nothing is done. So, let’s fix this by undoing what we learned and get about establishing a real rest plan.
We need to fix this. Poor sleep is responsible for numerous health problems such as heart disease, mental health illness, and neurological disorders to name a few. Poor sleep results in poor performance at work, in physical activity like working out or competitive sports, in communication with friends and families and virtually every action we participate in every day. So, screwing with the most important part of the day affects the rest of our day, greatly.
So, what do we need to do to rest in Chapter 3? I can tell you that self-medicating is not the answer. Some Warriors self-medicate with alcohol. Ok, that was a lie. A LOT self-medicate with their friends Bud and Jack. That is unconsciousness, not rest. Booze is also a depressant which just exacerbates an already bad situation. This rest plan speeds us downstream to desperation and loss of hope. So let’s forget what we learned, fix what we can and get real rest.
Learn to sleep, deeply. We can work on this in a few ways. We no longer need to sleep lightly. Allow yourself the right to sleep soundly. The enemy is no longer right outside the wire. Next, turn off tech to stop the mind from being barraged by lights and sounds and angry Facebook rants before bed. Then, turn on tech. White noise, cricket sounds or running water are great ways to allow your ears to be alert while not hearing all the little creaks and groans of your apartment that wake you.
Read before bed or use a guided meditation app. Both good ways to wind down. I’ve fallen asleep numerous times merely moments into using this app. And don’t read war studies at bedtime and bring up bad thoughts. I read nothing but non-fiction most of my life. I now read fiction, garbage, so I don’t have to think at all, allowing my mind to just relax. Start off by shooting for only how many hours you think you can sleep soundly, then get up and sit quietly elsewhere.
The bed is for rest, not tv, not eating, not social media. If you make bed a place of rest, a sanctuary of peace, your body will recognize that and work on that pattern positively. If you make it a place to watch WWE for two hours, it will develop a bad pattern as well. Zero stimulation is the goal. Some do, however, recommend exercising right before bed to tire you out. That may work for some, not for others who do intense workouts or get really amped up while working out. Light stretching only is the best recommendation.
Ditch the booze and pick up prescribed sleep meds or over the counter meds used appropriately, if necessary, to help get into a pattern. These things are ok to help get you and keep you asleep. We aren’t looking to be knocked down like a tranquilized rhino. Just enough. Work with your medical professional on what works best for you. Did I mention ditch the booze? Booze affects your liver, which is responsible for good hormones. Mess with and it will pay you back like a liberty weekend in the Philippines. Reduced liver function is responsible for poor sleep. Everything in moderation boys and girls.
And finally, get the best bed and bedding you can afford. You should be spending close to 1/3 of your day on that thing, invest wisely. You spend tens of thousands on a vehicle, guns, gear, eating out, etc., so don’t cheap out on the most important part of your day.
Sleeping soundly will greatly improve your mental and physical well-being in every Chapter of life. So, if you want to get up up each morning ready to take on the day and kick some ass, you have to go to sleep, soundly, first. This installment was a little long, on purpose. I, and science, say proper sleep is the key to a healthy life, no matter the Chapter! Sleep well, my friends.
—SGM DTB—
