Introduction: Sleep disruption is prevalent in military populations. Sleep education programs sho... more Introduction: Sleep disruption is prevalent in military populations. Sleep education programs show promise in civilians and have been recommended for service members to mitigate negative effects of chronic sleep restriction, circadian disruption, and other unique barriers to healthy sleep. Methods: A sleep education program for US Naval Personnel was developed based on a module created for college students, by the authors (Circadian, Light, and Sleep Skills (CLASS)). Content included the importance of sleep, sleep hygiene, and several components specifically tailored to military members: acute alerting and phase-shifting by light for fatigue mitigation and schedule adjustment; optimization of sleep quality given sleep restriction in high operational-tempo settings; and physical performance (e.g., circadian rhythms in performance; phase-shifting and alerting effects of exercise). Feedback from service members, veterans, scientists, and educators was incorporated prior to implementation. This pilot study used a pretest-posttest design. The 30-minute program was presented aboard a Littoral Combat Ship in two sessions (n=55; 6 females). Pre-program questionnaire items queried knowledge of circadian rhythms and sleep, sleep-related behaviors, and motivation to change (1-5, 5=high motivation). Immediate post-program questionnaires included knowledge, motivation, and program satisfaction (1-7, 7=extremely satisfied). Results: Knowledge increased significantly post-program (from 51% to 86% correct; p<0.001). All individuals reported they would use newly-learned strategies, and most (84%) would share learned information with others. Sleep was rated as highly important for performance and health post-program (mean±SD=4.9±0.4; p<0.001). Mean motivation values were high both pre-and post-program (4.0±0.6 and 3.8±0.7, respectively; both significantly >3, p<0.001). Satisfaction overall and with the content, format, length, and relevance of the program were also high (all significantly >4, p<0.001). Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that motivation to engage in healthy sleep behaviors is high among Sailors, and the program is informative and well-received. Long-term follow-up will determine effects on sleep, sleep-related behaviors, and psychological health. This work will inform future efforts including larger samples, a control comparison group, and a period of deployment post-program.
Introduction: Sleep disruption is prevalent in military populations. Sleep education programs sho... more Introduction: Sleep disruption is prevalent in military populations. Sleep education programs show promise in civilians and have been recommended for service members to mitigate negative effects of chronic sleep restriction, circadian disruption, and other unique barriers to healthy sleep. Methods: A sleep education program for US Naval Personnel was developed based on a module created for college students, by the authors (Circadian, Light, and Sleep Skills (CLASS)). Content included the importance of sleep, sleep hygiene, and several components specifically tailored to military members: acute alerting and phase-shifting by light for fatigue mitigation and schedule adjustment; optimization of sleep quality given sleep restriction in high operational-tempo settings; and physical performance (e.g., circadian rhythms in performance; phase-shifting and alerting effects of exercise). Feedback from service members, veterans, scientists, and educators was incorporated prior to implementation. This pilot study used a pretest-posttest design. The 30-minute program was presented aboard a Littoral Combat Ship in two sessions (n=55; 6 females). Pre-program questionnaire items queried knowledge of circadian rhythms and sleep, sleep-related behaviors, and motivation to change (1-5, 5=high motivation). Immediate post-program questionnaires included knowledge, motivation, and program satisfaction (1-7, 7=extremely satisfied). Results: Knowledge increased significantly post-program (from 51% to 86% correct; p<0.001). All individuals reported they would use newly-learned strategies, and most (84%) would share learned information with others. Sleep was rated as highly important for performance and health post-program (mean±SD=4.9±0.4; p<0.001). Mean motivation values were high both pre-and post-program (4.0±0.6 and 3.8±0.7, respectively; both significantly >3, p<0.001). Satisfaction overall and with the content, format, length, and relevance of the program were also high (all significantly >4, p<0.001). Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that motivation to engage in healthy sleep behaviors is high among Sailors, and the program is informative and well-received. Long-term follow-up will determine effects on sleep, sleep-related behaviors, and psychological health. This work will inform future efforts including larger samples, a control comparison group, and a period of deployment post-program.
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