Development of an Endurance Management Plan for U.S. Coast Guard Air Stations - Phase I.
Abstract
United States Coast Guard flight crews were evaluated to assess the impact of unit operational tempo on crew endurance and alertness. This study was conducted at Air Stations Miami and Cape May. The evaluation of sleep and activity patterns indicated that aircrews at Air Station Miami experienced dramatic variability in their individual sleep/wake cycle, with changes in rise time varying more than three hours several times within a month or a week. This resulted in crews at Air Station Miami having significantly larger differences in the time of day of daylight exposure than found at Air Station Cape May. Daily changes in daylight exposure time associated with changes in daily rise times are likely to induce lack of stability of the sleep/wake cycle and in the internal synchronization of the biological clock. The process of adapting to changes in daylight exposure is associated with the disruption of the sleep/wake cycle, fatigue elevation, deterioration of performance, and discomfort associated with gastrointestinal disorders. Recommendations for managing crew endurance include: (1) minimizing the calling to duty of personnel who are otherwise off-duty, (2) improving the sleep environment at the air station to minimize unnecessary disruptions and noise, and (3) implementing an educational program to disseminate sleep hygiene and endurance practices information throughout all rank and occupational levels.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA358396
Entities
People
- A. Carvalhais
- B. Schaab
- C. Bloch
- C. Comperatore
- P. D. Rocoo
Organizations
- United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center