Sleep and Performance Measures in Soldiers Undergoing Military Relevant Training

Abstract

Inadequate sleep is known to impair a variety of cognitive capacities, including attention, vigilance, concentration. memory encoding, and some aspects of higher order reasoning and judgment. The ability to unobtrusively measure fatigue and predict its effects on cognitive performance is vital to successful military operations. Wrist actigraphy is one such method, but its ability to accurately measure and predict performance in militarily relevant activities is not well validated. Healthy military volunteers (N = 108) were fitted with wrist actigraphs (Actiwatch; Minimitter Inc.) while undergoing one of six military education programs lasting between 4 to 6 weeks. Sixty-four Actiwatches were worn consistently and yielded valid data. Actigraphic sleep data were analyzed with Actiware 3.41 using automated scoring algorithms. Indices of sleep duration, latency, and quality were used to predict academic success in these courses. Averaging across all courses and volunteers, Soldiers obtained 5.8 hours of sleep per night (SD = 0.5). Sleep duration was typically reduced to 4.6 (SD = 1.5) hours the night preceding an exam. Regardless of course type or test content, academic performance was significantly predicted by total sleep time, sleep latency, number of immobile minutes, and fragmentation index, but not total activity level. Regardless of course or exam content, academic performance was significantly related to the amount and quality of sleep obtained within the 48-hour period preceding the exams. Actigraphy appears to be a valid and unobtrusive method for predicting academic performance in military courses, although issues of participant compliance and detection of off-wrist periods need to be improved.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA505791

Entities

People

  • Andres Eduardo Prieto Estrada
  • R. M. Wildzunas
  • T. J. Balkin
  • W. D. Killgore

Organizations

  • Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Correlation Analysis
  • Education
  • Fragmentation
  • Information Science
  • Measurement
  • Military Education
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • Psychology
  • Spreadsheet Software
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Circadian Sleep-Wake Regulation and Chronobiology