Fatigue Management

Insomnia also occurs frequently during predeployment and deployment
phases causing an unwanted sleep debt immediately prior to operations.
Commanders, whose main task is mental as opposed to physical, are
especially prone to insomnia as it is often caused by intense concentration,
worry and the fact that the prevalence of insomnia increases with age.
At night I lie with my eyes open wide, unable to sleep for the
load that is on my shoulders.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
in a letter to his wife on day 6
of the battle of El Alamein
He was a first class commander; you couldn't go to
sleep when he was about.
Field Marshal Sir Auchinleck
referring to Field Marshal Rommel
Overcoming Insomnia. People experiencing persistent insomnia
sometimes ‘medicate' themselves with alcohol or drugs. This is unwise as
there is a risk of dependency on such aids and their effect may continue into
work time. Furthermore, medication does not solve insomnia as it may only
alleviate symptoms in the short term. There are proven methods for dealing
with insomnia. Some can be applied in operational settings, for example:
a. Use your field notebook to record thoughts on decisions, ideas or
tasks that occur while you are trying to sleep in order to reduce
worry that you may forget them during sleep.
b. Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate) for at least four hours prior to
anticipated sleep. Some people develop a sensitivity to caffeine
that interferes with sleep. There is evidence that this sensitivity
can be triggered by high levels of stress.
c. Progressively relax your body, breath slowly and deeply, and
count your breaths. Try not to focus too closely on sleep itself; you
cannot force yourself to go to sleep. Try to imagine relaxing images
or pleasant memories to entice sleep.
d. Use common sense in preparing for sleep and in deciding on a
place to sleep.
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