Study into sleeplessness to improve soldiers' performance

• wuming78

  23 Oct 05, 11:11

  A research project is keeping some volunteers awake for 64 hours.
  
  This is all part of efforts by the Defence Science Organisation (DSO) to create useful tools for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
  
  The lack of sleep leads to mental fatigue and can affect how soldiers perform in the field.
  
  So Defence Science Organisation (DSO) National Laboratories are working on solutions to help SAF soldiers better manage the lack of sleep and their combat duties.
  
  Henry Tan is not playing just another computer game.
  
  The 29-year-old volunteer is being tested to see how fast he reacts to the changes on screen, especially after staying awake for more than 24 hours.
  
  Results from tests like the strength of a volunteer's grip and how the eye reacts to light flashes after missing 40 winks, will be used to design tools for SAF officers to use on the field.
  
  Fabian Lim, an exercise physiologist, said: "These tools can be used to indicate the state of mental alertness in the men so that commanders can then use this information to make informed decisions on how to, maybe, redeploy their human resource or redesign their job so that the degree of combat readiness is not compromised."
  
  But how are volunteers keeping themselves awake for 64 hours?
  
  Henry Tan said: "Well, a good friend of mine came for this study with me. So I guess during these six days, we'll try to catch up what happened before. We'll try to keep awake, in that sense. Sometimes we will read the papers, watch the TV."
  
  Volunteers will also be going for walks and playing board games with researchers to keep themselves awake.
  
  Tests will also be conducted every four hours to check reflexes and sense of balance. - CNA/ir
  
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  still remember how much i hallucinated when i went on nights without (proper and uninterrupted) sleep during OCS. i could fall doze off while covering up my trench during defense ex, doze off while walking and veer off into the drain while topo-ing, see things that are not there while route marching, etc...
  
  even now, i have the experience of dozing off while driving!
  
• chunyong

  23 Oct 05, 11:14

  driving cannot doze off, cos u end up killing someone and maybe even urself....cannot cannot
• Gordonator

  23 Oct 05, 11:16

  where did this article came from?
• kc_leung

  23 Oct 05, 19:50

  Originally posted by Gordonator:

  where did this article came from?

  Channel newsasia.
• insouciant

  24 Oct 05, 13:41

  Actually quite stupid. How can they just test by sitting around playing board games and taking strolls around to keep awake?
  
  Must make them do siong siong stuff like dig trench and fill sand bags, go on long approach marches, do fire and movement, charge hill and STILL stay up for 48 - 72 hours. Then the test would be accurate.
  
  Everyone already knows your reaction time slows down and concentration lapses with lack of sleep.
• Crappyz

  26 Oct 05, 23:27

  Wah... I one day no 10 hours of sleep already stone stone... how to survive without sleep for few days...
• fallin

  26 Oct 05, 23:58

  Without sleep is simply like your brain go on auto-pilot. Instructions go in, actions go out. No processing at all.
• kc_leung

  27 Oct 05, 00:15

  Originally posted by fallin:

  Without sleep is simply like your brain go on auto-pilot. Instructions go in, actions go out. No processing at all.

  like zombie?
• nismoS132

  27 Oct 05, 10:49

  i've ever gone 3 days without sleep before. the feeling you get is incredible. on 1 hand, you're feeling so tired and numb, fatigue beyond anything you've felt before. on the other hand, you're feeling extremely high because you've lost touch with all your senses
  
  also, at this point of time, it's really really hard to fall asleep. you tend to keep waking up at the moment just before you doze off. and even when you do manage to doze off, you tend to wake up every 5-10 minutes. after about 3-4 hours when your body finally gets re-adjusted to sleep, you can sleep for 30 hours non stop
• Gordonator

  27 Oct 05, 21:35

  Originally posted by nismoS132:

  i've ever gone 3 days without sleep before. the feeling you get is incredible. on 1 hand, you're feeling so tired and numb, fatigue beyond anything you've felt before. on the other hand, you're feeling extremely high because you've lost touch with all your senses
  
  also, at this point of time, it's really really hard to fall asleep. you tend to keep waking up at the moment just before you doze off. and even when you do manage to doze off, you tend to wake up every 5-10 minutes. after about 3-4 hours when your body finally gets re-adjusted to sleep, you can sleep for 30 hours non stop

  may i ask what were u doing for these 3 days?
• sgFish

  27 Oct 05, 22:21

  give them STIM PACKS.
  
  PSSS
• nismoS132

  28 Oct 05, 15:25

  Originally posted by Gordonator:

  may i ask what were u doing for these 3 days?

  rushing a project
• Gordonator

  28 Oct 05, 22:47

  Originally posted by nismoS132:

  rushing a project

  how many red bulls did u drank?
• dragg

  28 Oct 05, 22:57

  dont understand why they do such things for?
  
  
• nismoS132

  29 Oct 05, 22:13

  Originally posted by Gordonator:

  how many red bulls did u drank?

  non, i can't take red bull nor caffeine. just milo and lots of will power.
• duotiga83

  29 Oct 05, 22:21

  hey...1 of my friend name also call Fabian Lim