Paying Off (Sleep) Debt
When I was in command, I had a leather couch I inherited from the former commander in my office. He probably inherited it from the commander before him. And so on. It sounds kind of gross as I write this.
But it was comfortable enough, and I averaged at least one nap a week on that couch. I was routinely ridiculed (I think it was good-natured) by some of my senior NCOs and warrant officers.
But who’s laughing now? The Army is officially pro-nap.
On October 1, the Army published Field Manual 7–22, “Holistic Health and Fitness.” An initial skim suggests the Army has updated its thinking on health and fitness in a positive direction.
The new manual suggests naps can help pay back “sleep debt.” It goes as far as encouraging leaders to provide soldiers time to catch some Z’s during the duty day.
“Give Soldiers permission to nap when circumstances allow, and encourage naps when appropriate, especially during continuous operations,” reads the new manual.
That’s right — we have institutional backing for sleeping on the job.
The new pro-nap verbiage is kind of a big deal. The New York Times even covered it.
If you have a chance to look through the new manual, please send an email if you find something that stands out to you!
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The views expressed are those of Brennan Randel and do not reflect the official position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or any government agency.
