Fatigue Management

Signs of Fatigue
Effective fatigue management requires a sound knowledge of the signs,
symptoms and effects of sleep loss and fatigue.
Their faces were drawn and pallid, their eyes had the
fixed stare common in men who had endured heavy
bombardments, and they had the jerky mannerisms of
human beings whose nervous systems had been shocked
to an alarming degree.
H. R. Williams, describing troops
on the Western Front, 1916
Comrades of the Great Adventure, 1935
Physical Signs. Extreme fatigue leads to physical deterioration. Major
physical signs of fatigue and chronic sleep loss are:
a. vacant stare with sunken, bloodshot eyes;
b. eye strain, sore or ‘heavy' eyes, dim and blurred vision;
c. droning and humming in the ears;
d. paleness of skin;
e. slurred speech;
f. headaches;
g. slowed responsiveness;
h. lowered body temperature;
i. lowered, variable heart rate;
j. faintness and dizziness;
k. lack of energy or vitality, drowsiness;
l. unstable posture/swaying, dropping chin, nodding head;
m. intermittent loss of muscular strength, stiffness, cramps; and
n. loss of manual dexterity/difficulty making fine movements.
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