Chronicity of sleep restriction during Army basic military training

Objectives: To investigate: (i) the chronicity and phasic variability of sleep patterns and restriction in recruits during basic military training (BMT); and (ii) identify subjective sleep quality in young adult recruits prior to entry into BMT.Design: Prospective observational study.Methods: Sleep was monitored using wrist-worn actigraphy in Army recruits (n = 57, 18-43 y) throughout 12 weeks of BMT. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was completed in the first week of training to provide a subjective estimate of pre-BMT sleep patterns. A mixed-effects model was used to compare week-to-week and training phase (Orientation, Development, Field, Drill) differences for rates of sub-optimal sleep (6-7 h), sleep restriction (<= 6 h), and actigraphy recorded sleep measures.Results: Sleep duration was 06:24 +/- 00:18h (mean +/- SD) during BMT with all recruits experiencing sub-optimal sleep and 42% (n = 24) were sleep restricted for >= 2 consecutive weeks. During Field, sleep duration (06:06 +/- 00:36h) and efficiency (71 +/- 6%; p < 0.01) were reduced by 15-18 min (minimum maximum) and 7-8% respectively; whereas, sleep latency (30 +/- 15 min), wake after sleep onset (121 +/- 23 min), sleep fragmentation index (41 +/- 4%) and average awakening length (6.5 +/- 1.6 min) were greater than non-Field phases (p < 0.01) by 16-18 min, 28-33 min, 8-10% and 2.5-3 min respectively. Pre-BMT global PSQI score was 5 +/- 3, sleep duration and efficiency were 7.4 +/- 1.3 h and 88 +/- 9% respectively. Sleep schedule was highly variable at pre-BMT (bedtime: 22:34 +/- 7:46 h; wake time: 6:59 +/- 1:42 h) unlike BMT (2200-0600 h).Conclusions: The chronicity of sub-optimal sleep and sleep restriction is substantial during BMT and increased training demands exacerbate sleep disruption. Exploration of sleep strategies (e.g. napping, night-time routine) are required to mitigate sleep-associated performance detriments and maladaptive outcomes during BMT.(c) 2022 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.