Sedating and Nonsedating Sleeping Aids in Air Operations.

Both sedating and nonsedating sleeping aids may be appropriate for use in specific operational environments to promote sleep and permit efficient utilization of rest periods. Sedating agents, such as the benzodiazepine triazolam, produce an impairment window which is a period of time post administration when performance and responsivity during sleep are impaired. Nonsedating agents, such as the amino acid 1-tryptophan, enhance sleep but do not alter performance or responsivity at any time post administration. In a field trial of use of 1-tryptophan in U.S. Marines airlifted from California to Okinawa, 1-tryptophan increased total sleep time the first night after arrival. This sleep enhancement was associated with significantly faster reaction times the next day, sparing of shorty-term memory from jet-lag effects, and more rapid recovery of reaction time over the first three days after arrival. Which type of agent to use in support of an air operation will be determined by the nature of the environments in which rest periods will occur and the duration of scheduled sleep times.