Accession Number:
ADA510840
Title:
Alertness Management Strategies for Operational Contexts
Descriptive Note:
Journal article
Corporate Author:
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB BROOKS AFB TX HUMAN EFFECTIVENESS DIRECTORATE
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
2008-08-01
Pagination or Media Count:
18.0
Abstract:
This article provides a review which addresses the problem of fatigue attributable to sleep loss in modern society and the scientifically proven strategies useful for reducing fatigue-related risks. Fatigue has become pervasive because many people work non-standard schedules, andor they consistently fail to obtain sufficient sleep. Sleep restriction, sleep deprivation, and circadian desynchronization produce a variety of decrements in cognitive performance as well as an array of occupational and health risks. A number of real-world mishaps have resulted from performance failures associated with operator sleepiness. In some cases, fatiguesleepiness is unavoidable, at least temporarily, due to job-related or other factors, but in other cases, fatiguesleepiness results from poor personal choices. Furthermore, some individuals are more vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss than others. Fortunately, fatigue-related risks can be mitigated with scientifically-valid alertness-management strategies. Proper workrest scheduling and good sleep hygiene are of primary importance. If sleep time is available but sleep is difficult to obtain, sleep-inducing medications and behavioral circadian-adjustment strategies are key. In fatiguing situations such as when sleep opportunities are temporarily inadequate, lin1iting time on tasks, strategic napping, and the potential use of alertness-enhancing compounds must be considered. To optimize any alertness-management program, everyone must first be educated about the nature of the problem and the manner in which accepted remedies should be implemented. In the near future, objective fatigue-detection technologies may contribute substantially to the alleviation of fatigue-related risks in real-world operations.
Descriptors:
Subject Categories:
- Psychology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Stress Physiology