Fleet Finding New Sleep-Sensitive Watch Schedules Boosts Crew Performance, Efficiency
By: Megan Eckstein
July 15, 2019 4:30 PM
ABOARD USS GRAVELY, IN THE BALTIC SEA – A year and a half after surface navy leadership demanded ships implement new work schedules to ensure sailors got enough sleep, officers aboard a destroyer say the new scheduling has made them more effective at sea and they’re not looking back.
Among the findings in deep-dive looks at the surface navy following two fatal collisions in 2017 was the fact that many officers were standing watch during pivotal evolutions – refuelings at sea (RAS), strait transits, pulling into port – on little or no sleep. With the medical community firmly stating that being sleep-deprived can impact alertness and performance in ways similar to drinking alcohol, the Navy ordered in late 2017 that all surface ships create a watch standing schedule that allowed sailors to sleep at the same time every night with seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.
https://news.usni.org/2019/07/15/fleet-finding-new-sleep-sensitive-watch-schedules-boosts-crew-performance-efficiency
