Effects of Three Watchstanding Schedules on Submariner Physiology, Performance and Mood

Abstract : The general rationale for this study was based upon issues of manpower, especially quality of life and personnel retention, and submarine system performance. Nine male submariners participated as research subjects, two from fast attack submarines and seven from fleet ballistic missile submarines. All participants were submarine qualified and had watchstanding experience on the 18-hour (12-and-6) schedule. The group of participants experienced three watchstanding schedules: the 18-hour Submarine watch schedule; the traditional, Maritime watch schedule; and the Alternative, compressed watch schedule (6-on, 6-off, 6-on, 12-off, 6-on, 6-off-6-on, 24-off). More was learned from the physiological measures employed in this study, especially polysomnography, than from the performance or subjective measures. After combining the results of this study with information available in the research literature about submarine watchstanding schedules dating as far back as 1949, the following schedules were recommended for further study in sea trials: the A Schedule (compressed-6); a fixed, dogged-6 schedule; and the fixed, 8-hour watch schedule.

[1]  W P Colquhoun.  Hours at work at sea: watchkeeping schedules, circadian rhythms and efficiency. , 1985, Ergonomics.

[2]  Jim Horne,et al.  Dimensions to sleepiness. , 1991 .

[3]  S. Kobasa,et al.  Hardiness and health: a prospective study. , 1982, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[4]  A. Rechtschaffen.  A manual of Standardized Terminology , 1968 .

[5]  Michael E. McCauley,et al.  CREW FATIGUE AND PERFORMANCE ON U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTERS. , 1998 .

[6]  J C Pryce,et al.  The wrist position between neutral and ulnar deviation that facilitates the maximum power grip strength. , 1980, Journal of biomechanics.

[7]  Kraft Gh,et al.  Position of function of the wrist. , 1972 .

[8]  C. Spielberger,et al.  Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory , 1970 .

[9]  C. Spielberger.  Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (Form Y , 1983 .

[10]  Lawrence L Ames,et al.  Revision and Verification of a Seven-Point Workload Estimate Scale , 1993 .

[11]  G H Kraft,et al.  Position of function of the wrist. , 1972, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[12]  Changes in the temperature rhythm of submariners following a rapidly rotating watchkeeping system for a prolonged period , 1979, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[13]  R. Wever,et al.  Bright light affects human circadian rhythms , 2004, Pflügers Archiv.

[14]  E A Alluisi,et al.  Methodology in the Use of Synthetic Tasks to Assess Complex Performance1 , 1967, Human factors.

[15]  D. J. Mullaney,et al.  Automatic sleep/wake identification from wrist activity. , 1992, Sleep.

[16]  J. Aschoff,et al.  Human Circadian Rhythms in Continuous Darkness: Entrainment by Social Cues , 1971, Science.

[17]  W P Colquhoun,et al.  Experimental studies of shift-work I: A comparison of 'rotating' and 'stabilized' 4-hour shift systems. , 1968, Ergonomics.

[18]  Robert A. Utterback,et al.  A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SCHEDULES FOR STANDING WATCHES ABOARD SUBMARINES BASED ON BODY TEMPERATURE CYCLES , 1949 .

[19]  P. Lacks.  Behavioral Treatment for Persistent Insomnia , 1987 .

[20]  Jürgen Aschoff,et al.  The Circadian System of Man , 1979 .

[21]  E. Haus,et al.  Effect of 18-h watch schedules on circadian cycles of physiological functions during submarine patrols. , 1979, Undersea biomedical research.

[22]  Timothy F. Elsmore,et al.  SYNWORK1: A PC-based tool for assessment of performance in a simulated work environment , 1994 .

[23]  R. Wever.  The Circadian System of Man , 1979, Topics in Environmental Physiology and Medicine.

[24]  Paul Naitoh,et al.  The Operational Consequences of Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Deficit , 1974 .

[25]  J. L. Bassano,et al.  Biorhythm and Watch Rhythms: Hemeral Watch Rhythm and Anhemeral Watch Rhythm in Simulated Permanent Duty , 1977 .

[26]  P. Nicassio,et al.  The phenomenology of the pre-sleep state: the development of the pre-sleep arousal scale. , 1985, Behaviour research and therapy.

[27]  C. E. Englund,et al.  Unified Tri-Service Cognitive Performance Assessment Battery (UTC-PAB). 1. Design and Specification of the Battery , 1987 .

[28]  C D Wylie,et al.  COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER FATIGUE AND ALERTNESS STUDY: PROJECT REPORT , 1996 .

[29]  M. Johns,et al.  A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. , 1991, Sleep.

[30]  A Faure,et al.  A graphical and statistical method for investigation of time series in chronobiology according to the cosinor procedure. , 1990, Computers in biology and medicine.

[31]  Michael E. McCauley,et al.  RELIABILITY, VALIDITY AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPROVED SCALE FOR ASSESSMENT OF MOTION SICKNESS SEVERITY , 1979 .

[32]  Mireille Raby,et al.  Fatigue And Alertness In Merchant Marine Personnel: A Field Study Of Work And Sleep Patterns. , 1996 .

[33]  W D Chiles,et al.  Work Schedules and Performance During Confinement1 , 1968, Human factors.

[34]  Paul Naitoh,et al.  Circadian rhythms determined by cosine curve fitting: Analysis of continuous work and sleep-loss data , 1985 .

[35]  E. Wolpert.  A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects. , 1969 .

[36]  L. Lack,et al.  The pupillary light reflex cannot be used to measure sleepiness. , 1997, Psychophysiology.

[37]  M. Pressman,et al.  Senile miosis: the possible contribution of disordered sleep and daytime sleepiness. , 1986, Journal of gerontology.

[38]  W. P. Colquhoun,et al.  Work at sea: a study of sleep, and of circadian rhythms in physiological and psychological functions, in watchkeepers on merchant vessels , 1988, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[39]  Hiramatsu Ryoji,et al.  Use of saliva for monitoring unbound free cortisol levels in serum , 1981 .

[40]  M. Johns,et al.  Reliability and factor analysis of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. , 1992, Sleep.

[41]  Barbara G. Stanley,et al.  Concepts in Hand Rehabilitation , 1992 .

[42]  A. Patat,et al.  Effect on postural sway of various benzodiazepine tranquillizers. , 1985, British journal of clinical pharmacology.

[43]  W P Colquhoun,et al.  Circadian rhythm of body temperature during prolonged undersea voyages. , 1978, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[44]  L. T,et al.  Electrooculographic and performance indices of fatigue during simulated flight , 2022 .

[45]  Nathaniel Kleitman,et al.  VARIATIONS IN BODY TEMPERATURE AND IN PERFORMANCE UNDER DIFFERENT WATCH SCHEDULES , 1950 .

[46]  Etienne Grandjean.  Fitting the task to the man , 1969 .

[47]  A. Beck,et al.  An inventory for measuring depression. , 1961, Archives of general psychiatry.

[48]  D. Ryman,et al.  Reliabilities and Validities of the Mood Questionnaire , 1974 .

[49]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[50]  P. Lacks,et al.  Knowledge and practice of sleep hygiene techniques in insomniacs and good sleepers. , 1986, Behaviour research and therapy.

[51]  T. Kubo,et al.  Analysis of body sway pattern after alcohol ingestion in human subjects. , 1989, Acta oto-laryngologica. Supplementum.

[52]  J. Horne,et al.  A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms. , 1976, International journal of chronobiology.

[53]  N. Fletcher,et al.  Work at sea: a study of sleep, and of circadian rhythms in physiological and psychological functions, in watchkeepers on merchant vessels , 1988, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[54]  Carolyn J. Hursch,et al.  Electroencephalography (EEG) of human sleep : clinical applications , 1974 .

[55]  Reliability and validity of grip and pinch strength measurements. , 1991 .

[56]  William Charles Stolgitis.  THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP LOSS AND DEMANDING WORK/REST CYCLES: AN ANALYSIS OF THE TRADITIONAL NAVY WATCH SYSTEM AND A PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE , 1969 .

[57]  R J Biersner,et al.  Altered circadian periodicities in oral temperature and mood in men on an 18-hour work/rest cycle during a nuclear submarine patrol. , 1983, International journal of chronobiology.

[58]  David F. Neri,et al.  Nonentrained Circadian Rhythms of Melatonin in Submariners Scheduled to an 18-Hour Day , 1999, Journal of biological rhythms.

[59]  J. Macdermid,et al.  Interrater reliability of pinch and grip strength measurements in patients with cumulative trauma disorders. , 1994, Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand Therapists.

[60]  A. Pack,et al.  Cumulative sleepiness, mood disturbance, and psychomotor vigilance performance decrements during a week of sleep restricted to 4-5 hours per night. , 1997, Sleep.

[61]  R. Wever,et al.  Light Effects on Human Circadian Rhythms: A Review of Recent Andechs Experiments , 1989, Journal of biological rhythms.

[62]  W. Dement,et al.  Quantification of sleepiness: a new approach. , 1973, Psychophysiology.

[63]  Jonathan French,et al.  An Assessment of Modafinil for Vestibular and Aviation-Related Effects , 2005 .

[64]  F Halberg,et al.  Circadian rhythmic leaflet movements: student exercise in chronobiology. , 1974, Chronobiologia.

[65]  G Hildebrandt,et al.  Outline of chronohygiene. , 1976, Chronobiologia.