Navy Oks Changes For Submariners' Sleep Schedules

Military scientists concluded submarine sailors, who traditionally begin a new workday every 18 hours, show less fatigue on a 24-hour schedule, and the Navy has endorsed the findings for any skippers who want to make the switch. Navy Capt. Steven Wechsler, the laboratory's commanding officer, said the study found the fatigue that came from working on the reactors an additional two hours can be balanced out by the longer, more consistent sleep period on the 24-hour schedule. Since 2005, the laboratory has done experiments on submariners' sleep patterns, testing melatonin levels in sailors' saliva, surveying crews and fitting sailors with devices to measure activity levels and sleep quality. The circadian rhythm, a master biological clock that regulates when we become sleepy and when we're alert, has been the subject of many studies by industry and academia.