Adapting to Sleep Deprivation

[Ex Coelis]

In the Army we work on very little sleep. Whether in training or overseas, there's just not enought time to get the recommended 8 hours a night. As a matter of fact, it's not uncommon to go all day on as little as 2 hours of sleep.

Personally, I just wake up when I'm told to and soldier on. I don't have any specific coping strategies for dealing with the lack of sleep. I have noticed that some people seem to naturally need far less than others, though.

I'm curious what other people do to adapt to this type of stressor.

[lilwoday09smb]

b ehappy u can sleep when u can, i have insomnia i lay in bed for 4-5 hours a night in pitch dark and can not sleep, it suxs i ususaly try to get into bed about 10: 30, i never seem to be able to get to sleep until about 1 and i wake up at 6. i have practice at night from 7-9:30 so im usualy amped when i get home and i cnt fall asleep but i try to get a few extra hours on the weekends

[WOOO]

i never sleep more than 6-7 hours per night... often getting as little as 4-5 hours... i have been like this since i was a kid (like 4-5 years old)...

i think some people just need more sleep than others

[lilwoday09smb]

ya my g/f seems to need about 15, talk about a bitch if she dosent get to sleep in on the weekends, im up at 9 at the very latest even if i stay out till 2 or 3.

[Jr. Yates]

ya my g/f seems to need about 15, talk about a bitch if she dosent get to sleep in on the weekends, im up at 9 at the very latest even if i stay out till 2 or 3.

me too, 9 seems to be when i always wake up.

[HalloweenMan]

dude when i was in the army, my motto was 'sleep when you can'.   if you are sitting around for hours doing nothing, then sleep and work something out with your buddies so everyone can get in on this and not get in trouble.  if you are in the field (not deployed) and they have you on some retarded LPOP all night, switch off sleeping with the dude you are with, there is no reason for both of you to be awake.  anytime else in the field too, no reason for two people to be doing one mans work.  take turns sleeping. 
it all comes and goes though, i remember days being so tired from no sleep and then i also remember days where i had slept so much and couldnt sleep anymore and was bored out of my mind. 
oh well.  good luck! 

[Jr. Yates]

what happens if you both fall asleep??

[Cavalier22]

then they get ambushed and everyone dies

[homer77]

well, im not in the military, but i have had infant sleep deprivation.  i went through 6 months of 3-5 hrs a night.  i either walked around strung out on coffee or took naps whenever possible. 

[oldtimer1]

I have worked revolving shift work for many years.  One week of waking up at 4:30AM to go to work at 6AM.  The next week going to work at 9PM to work till 7AM.  The lack of sleep really catches up with you.  Keep your routine the best you can.  Realize sometimes you just have to fold and rest.  I have always felt that short high intensity routines were the route to go when sleep was compromised.  Trying to maintain volume 2.0 hour workouts will leave you in exhaustion without  a good amount of sleep.  It easier to recover from hard 45 minute routines.  Make sure your not missing sleep with immature activities like drinking till 5 in the morning either.

The bottom line is that there is no adaptation to lack of sleep.  It's bad for both body and mind.  Make getting rest a priority and even with crazy hours things can fall into place.  Obviously in the field everything is out of your control.

[nodeal]

i need my sleep i cant function throughout the day being so tired from lack of sleep. i hate the feeling of being tired and i hate waking up when i didnt get a full nights rest

[canadian_husker]

when the kids were just babies i was functioning on 4-5 hours sleep a night six nights a week. lots of coffee and one day on the weekend i'd either go to sleep really early or have an afternoon nap. it wasn't good for me that's for sure.