Sleep As A Weapon

Army Soldiers catch a few minutes of sleep on board an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. Overall research findings suggest that inadequate levels of sleep when sustained over time increase the risk of physiological disease, allowing greater susceptibility to illness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Heide Couch)

Sarah DiGiulio, Huffington Post: You Have To Close Your Eyes To See The Military’s Powerful New Weapon

Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis says sleep is a key strategy.

On a March evening in 2002, the USS Oscar Austin began a nighttime transit through the Skagerrak, a busy shipping lane connecting Norway, Denmark and Sweden, when disaster nearly struck.

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. John Cordle was on the bridge navigating the ship. “It was a very narrow, confusing transit at night,” Cordle told The Huffington Post. Three Navy ships were following.

It had been a long day. Cordle had pulled an all-nighter, working various shifts. That’s when he nearly caused a drowsy driving catastrophe that could have caused several naval vessels to collide.

“I just sort of fell asleep standing up,” he admitted.

Retired Adm. James G. Stavridis says these situations are unacceptable ― and all too common.

“Sleep is a key part of the requirements for resilience and good decision-making,” Stavridis said in an interview.

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WNU Editor: We all have had that experience .... falling asleep when we should not have. In my case the closest call that I ever had was when I was driving with 3 friends to Quebec City from Montreal. It was late at night, it was a snowstorm, and we were all very tired. During the drive .... as I told my friends when we finally arrived to Quebec City .... there was a point where all four of us were asleep.