In most instances, the conditions that navy personnel serve in make it hard to enjoy enough sleep. Some work in dark rooms without enough light. Others are posted to work in engine rooms which has a lot of sound coming from right inside there. Some navy officers will be slotted to work on night duty, while during combat, most of the activities are prioritized to be undertaken at night. All these reduce sleep times and also affect sleep patterns.
Circadian shifts
Is important to note that most of those who join the Navy do so in their adolescents and this is a time when their bodies are going through serious Circadian shifts. This is what regulates the sleep-waking cycles. During adolescents, 9 hours of sleep is necessary, which is an hour more than the average number of hours that an adult requires. But while in the navy, they will have fewer hours to sleep, and in most instances, waking up at 4 am becomes the norm. While this becomes normalized, regardless of the negative performance impacts and negative health that is associated with it.
Poor sleeping Environments
Thanks to their nature of service, soldiers sleep whenever they can get that opportunity and they must have a sleeping material that helps them fall asleep fast, even in uncomfortable environments. That is why navy rack sheets are the most preferred since they have been designed to make you sleep fast and get high-quality sleep for longer. There are instances where you will have to sleep amidst the noise, in windy conditions, and even when there are massive sea waves. You have to take advantage of the opportunity that is availed to you to sleep and get the rest which you badly deserve.
Those working in dark ship control rooms
Depending on whether navy personnel is preparing for combat or training, they may be exposed to hordes of other features that may impair their sleep. Navy sailors who work in dark rooms inside their ships may develop a different level of melatonin in their bloodstream as opposed to someone who works in a normal environment where there is proper lighting. The difference that exposure to light can have is huge. The noise that emanates from the engine room also leads to increased cortisol and this could lead to disrupted sleep by the navy officers.
Overnight shifts
At night, the body expects to be asleep and navy officers who are on duty at such hours may suffer from circadian disruptions. This is because they are working at a time of the day when the body is expected to be resting. Working during the night shift increases stress on your cardiovascular system, increases inflammation, and affects your skeletomuscular strength. All these combine to increase the possibility of the navy member getting injuries.
During military combat missions, most activity is prioritized for the night and it’s most common for members of the navy to coordinate with other specialized units that are in different parts of the world. This means that there will be more sleep disruptions because of the teleconferences that take place at night.
