Ten Military Tactics for Better Sleep,
Your Best Defense on the Covid-19 Battlefield
An interview with Dr. Col. Michael Lewis, M.D., US Army (ret)
Sleep is emerging as the latest casualty of the COVID-19 crisis. Too many sleepless nights can trigger both physical and mental health problems as well as interfere with even simple tasks required in life (like seeing stop signs), or on the battlefield (soldiers can correctly site a target, but they might select the wrong target).
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep (anything less than 7-8 hours) not only impairs such abilities as concentration, mood, judgement, attention span, creativity, and productivity, but it also severely reduces our body’s immune function,” says retired Colonel Dr. Michael Lewis, former US Army infectious disease researcher.
SLEEP FOSTERS T-CELL PRODUCTION:
“T Cells are white blood cells that play a critical part in the immune system’s response to viruses. Sleep deprivation stops T Cells from responding efficiently and makes it more difficult for the body to fight back against illnesses,” says Dr. Lewis.
“Recent research shows that poor sleep was the number one factor in determining whether someone would get sick after being exposed to the cold virus, so it becomes essential that military and civilians alike practice these healthy sleep-promoting techniques to boost their natural defenses against not only COVID-19 but against all infectious pathogens,” says Dr. Lewis.
THE TEN EFFECTIVE SLEEP TACTICS
(As per Army Surgeon General’s Performance Triad Sleep Working Group)
1. Create a quiet, dark, comfortable sleeping environment. Cover windows with darkening drapes or shades or wear a sleep mask to block light. Minimize disturbance from environmental noises with foam earplugs or use a room fan to muffle noise. If you can, adjust the room temperature to suit you. If you cannot, use extra blankets to stay warm or a room fan to keep you cool.
2. Remove distractions from the bedroom. Use the bedroom only for sleep and intimacy. Remove the TV, computer, laptop, and other electronic distractions from your bedroom. Do not eat or drink in bed. Keep arguments out of the bedroom.
3. Stop caffeine consumption at least 6 hours before bedtime. Caffeine promotes wakefulness and disrupts sleep – even in those individuals who think that caffeine does not affect their ability to sleep.
4. Do not drink alcohol before bed. Alcohol initially makes you feel sleepy but disrupts and lightens your sleep several hours later. In short, alcohol reduces the recuperative value of sleep. Nicotine, and withdrawal from nicotine in the middle of the night, also disrupts sleep. If you need help quitting drinking or using nicotine products, see your healthcare provider for options.
5. Time intense exercise sessions appropriately. Exercising is great; just be sure to finish strenuous exercise (i.e., sessions in which you exercise to near exhaustion) at least 3 hours before bedtime so that you have plenty of time to wind down. Mild to moderate levels of exercise (strenuous enough to raise metabolic rate but not strenuous enough to cause the release of sleep-stealing stress hormones) can be performed anytime – and will generally help you get deeper, more restorative sleep.
6. Do not go to bed hungry. A light bedtime snack (e.g. milk and crackers) can be helpful, but do not eat a large meal close to bedtime. Empty your bladder just before you go to bed so that the urge to urinate does not disrupt your sleep.
7. Maintain a consistent, regular routine that starts with a fixed wake-up time. Start by setting a fixed time to wake up, get out of bed, and get exposure to light each day. Pick a time that you can maintain during the week and on weekends, then, adjust your bedtime to target 7–9 hours of sleep.
8. Get out of bed if you cannot sleep. Only go to bed (and stay in bed) when you feel sleepy. Do not try to force yourself to fall asleep; it will tend to make you more awake, worsening the problem. If you wake in the middle of the night, give yourself about 20 minutes to return to sleep. If you do not return to sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing. Do not return to bed until you feel sleepy.
9. Nap wisely. Napping can be a good way to make up for poor or reduced nighttime sleep, but too much napping can cause problems falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Using short naps (20-30 minutes) to “to take the edge off” your sleepiness.
10. Move the clock from your bedside to where you cannot see it. If you tend to check the clock multiple times during the night and worry that you are not getting enough sleep, cover the clock face or turn it around so that you cannot see it.
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How is the human immune designed to deal with harmful viruses?
2. Why is quality sleep so important for optimal immune function?
3. How many hours of sleep are required by the human body to keep the immune system operating at peak function?
4. What does the Army say about the influence of food on sleep and immunity?
5. Anxiety is currently keeping millions of civilians and many in the military awake at night. What advice can you give to help them tamper their anxiety and improve their quality of sleep? (CBD supplementation)
6. Where can listeners go to learn more about what we’ve been discussing?
ABOUT COLONEL (Ret.) MICHAEL LEWIS, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACN
Dr. Lewis graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY, and Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed post-graduate training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – where he developed the ESSENCE program, the nation’s first and largest Syndrome‐based Disease Outbreak Recognition System that is used by the US CDC, health departments across the United States, and many countries around the world. Subsequently, Dr. Lewis was assigned to the AFRIMS Research Laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand, where established the DoD’s Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Program. There he developed and coordinated programs across Asia, led investigations into disease outbreaks, and was at ground zero for SARS and bird flu. Dr. Lewis is board-certified and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Nutrition.
1. Effective Sleep Strategies
https://p3.amedd.army.mil/performance-learning-center/sleep/effective-sleep-strategies
2. Sleep and COVID-19
https://p3.amedd.army.mil/performance-learning-center/sleep/sleep-and-covid-19
3. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips
4. https://www.prevention.com/health/sleep-energy/a32171741/coronavirus-insomnia-tips/
5. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/04/sleep-problems-becoming-risk-factor-as-pandemic-continues/
