It is no secret that afloat sailors often suffer from poor sleep. Consistently low sleep quantity and quality can negatively affect health, well-being, and work performance in several ways, including:
- Physical Health: Poor sleep reduces strength, endurance, coordination, and recovery. Long-term problematic sleep increases the risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and a weakened immune system.
- Cognitive Function: Poor sleep can significantly impair cognitive functioning (e.g., attention, memory, processing speed, and decision-making abilities). Individuals struggling with sleep often experience heightened stress levels, mood swings, and emotional instability. Chronic sleep problems are strongly associated with mental health disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety) and destructive behaviors (e.g., substance abuse).
- Social Function: Problematic sleep can negatively affect interpersonal communication and team dynamics, which can result in misunderstandings, poor information exchanges, and conflicts that degrade unit performance.
- Increased Accident Risk: Sleep deprivation increases the risk of workplace accidents and injuries because of decreased cognitive and physiological performance. This is particularly relevant in military settings, in which fatigue is often a contributing factor to deadly and costly mishaps.
- Decreased Productivity: Sleep issues can lead to decreased energy levels, making it difficult for individuals to stay motivated and fully perform their jobs, which can degrade unit performance.
Addressing afloat sleep problems requires a multifaceted approach. For instance, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SurFor), instituted the use of circadian-based watchbills, mandated seven hours of protected sleep time, started educating leaders about the importance of sleep for themselves and subordinates, developed a new watchbill scheduling application (currently being fielded), and conducted research-and-development (R&D) efforts to use biometric wearables. Additionally, SurFor, in partnership with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Health Research Center, is undertaking R&D efforts to inform the design of new shipboard mattresses based on results from its annual Afloat Surface Climate Assessment Survey, which found berthing habitability to be a leading factor undermining quality sleep—no surprise to afloat sailors.
Interior Design
These are all worthy and needed efforts; however, a more pragmatic path has yet to be embraced: interior design. Sleep space interior design considerations play a crucial role in creating an environment conducive to good sleep. Sleeping spaces can influence one’s psychological and physical well-being. Beyond aesthetics, the fleet could greatly benefit from the empirically informed selection, arrangement, and use of color, lighting, and décor within berthing spaces to promote good sleep, psychological well-being, and provide a sanctuary for relaxation and renewal. As the understanding of the interplay between environment and health continues to evolve, the role of interior design in shaping berthing spaces, as well as workspaces, becomes increasingly significant, making it a vital consideration in the pursuit of improving quality of life and force readiness.
Good sleep is foundational to health, impacting everything from cognitive function to immune system strength and heart health; and the design of a sleeping space can directly affect sleep quality. Design elements—such wall color, direct/indirect lighting, furniture arrangement, and noise control—work in concert to either promote relaxation or detract from it. For instance, the use of calming colors like soft blues can help create a serene atmosphere that signals the brain to wind-down and promote a peaceful state of mind conducive to sleep. Similar, exposure to natural light during the day and limited exposure to artificial light, especially blue light from screens, in the evening helps regulate the body's circadian rhythm, improving sleep quality, while dimmable lighting options, especially when automated, can mimic the natural progression of the day, preparing the body for rest. Sound insulation is another critical aspect of promoting good sleep; minimizing noise pollution, whether through soundproofing or masking noise machines, can significantly improve sleep outcomes.
Beyond sleep, a well-designed berthing space can serve as a sanctuary from the stresses of daily shipboard life, contributing to better mental health. For many sailors, their rack is a place for reflection, meditation, and emotional processing, thus making its design critical to supporting these activities.
Looking Forward
Some will undoubtedly roll their eyes at the suggestion of embracing interior design principles on board warships. However, the science is clear as to the potential benefits, and a paradigm-shift is required to address chronic issues such as fatigue, dissatisfaction with afloat quality of life, and the negative safety, health, and performance outcomes associated with poor sleep.
As one of the authors—who served in both the Navy and the Army—can attest, being on a combat deployment with a field unit and sleeping in the bosom of Mother Nature (the ultimate designer) is markedly better than sleeping in the industrial bowels of a warship.
