In the Air Defense sector, we always look forward to getting off from work. The tight schedule leaves little time for us to get any sleep or do much of anything. On a typical week, while deployed, we work nearly 24 hours straight during which we barely get much sleep, the next 24 hours off, followed by an 8-hour workday. During such deployment, our leaders try something new known as a flex day, along with the 24 on and 24 off. These days can go from 5 am to 7 pm on most days. The working hours significantly affected my sleep schedule over the last three weeks. Over time, I showed signs of fatigue, loss of appetite, and elevated stress. These factors affected my psychological health as well as my physical health.
During the week beginning on the 16 th through to the 22 nd , my schedule was somewhat regular. Most of us were preparing for a training mission. I got multiple days off where I got at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Going to bed at 8 pm and waking up at 4 am on the nights of my 24 hours off and flex days, this was only possible because I was released earl during my flex shifts. On my 24-hour shift, I could not get any sleep. Unfortunately, I had my 24-hour shifts on the 16th, 19th, and the 22nd. After those 24-hour shifts, I would force myself to stay awake with physical activities like running, biking, or swimming. These practices would help with my overall stress level and allow me to eat lunch and dinner. On the nights of the 17 th , 18 th , 20 th , and 21 st , I got a full 8 hours of sleep as I went to bed at 8 pm and woke up at 4 am feeling well-rested. After working out for at least one hour and a half in the morning of these days, I found that it would greatly increase my energy levels. This first week I discovered that I could comfortably slip into a dream, and they would occur every night off. Most of these dreams were of events in movies I had watched during the day. For example, on the 20 th , I had a dream with me flying a World War 2 plane; that day I had watched the movie “Midway,” which told the story of the Second World War battle of Midway. Sadly, this is where my regular sleep schedule ends due to the training mission we would start in week two.
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The second week was a mess, primarily due to the additional hours on our 24-hour off and flex days. When we would get off our 24-hour shift, we would get 8 hours off and come back into work until 10 pm. On most days, we would get some sleep from 10:45 pm to 4 am, after which we would go back into work. During this week, I experienced a lot of stress, fatigue, and loss of appetite. My body was experiencing some significant change as I only had tiny portions the few times I got the opportunity to eat, believing I was not as hungry. I checked my weight at the end of every week to ensure I maintained my average weight. At the end of this week, I realized I had lost 10 pounds as I was not eating as much as I needed. Furthermore, even when I lay down, I was not sleeping or dreaming. After some research, I noted that the problems I was having were due to stress.
Sleep is an essential factor for normal functioning. It provides time for our brains to recharge and our bodies to rest. I discovered that most Americans would be happier if they gained an extra 60 minutes to 90 minutes of more sleep every night (Stress and Sleep, 2013). The majority of Americans report sleeping patterns of 6.7 hours a night, which is less than the recommended minimum of 8 hours. Furthermore, 42 percent of adults say that their sleep quality is fair or poor, while 43 percent report that stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past month (Stress and Sleep, 2013). During the second week, I would find myself yelling at colleagues for stuff I usually would not. This behavior change aligns with study results where 50% of the subjects were losing their patience or yelling at their spouses (Stress and Sleep, 2013). Additionally, I was also fatigued on most days with my body aching for what I thought was no reason.
The main reasons for my body hurting included elevated stress and lack of appetite, which both come down to sleep deprivation. This is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute and vary widely in severity. It may facilitate a few of the following aching muscles, confusion, memory lapse or loss, and headaches (Sleep deprivation, 2009). Many of these effects I experienced during my second week.
With the difference between my first and second weeks, I saw a dramatic change in my personality and physical stature. These changes showed the importance of getting a full night of sleep.
References
American Psychological Association ( 2013 ). “ Sleep and Stress ”. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/sleep
" Sleep deprivation ". betterhealth.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 20 August 2009.
