Sjötaktisk sömn

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this paper is to examine levels of fatigue in a submarine crew using a modified watchkeeping schedule. By conducting a quantitative study, based on a survey carried out on a Swedish submarine crew, this paper uses a theory-consuming method in order to clarify if a modified watchkeeping schedule is able to maintain sufficient levels of readiness. This paper revolves around the thesis that military decision making is affected negatively with higher levels of fatigue. In order to substantiate this, this paper will examine human hygienic need for sleep and effects of sleep-deprivation and fatigue. As this paper present a cognitive model of the decision making process, examining vulnerabilities in that model presented from the effects of fatigue will be possible. With that knowledge as a foundation, the results of the survey will be introduced and analyzed and contra-examined to a similar survey, conducted in the Canadian Navy. Finally, this paper come to the conclusion that the modified watch-keeping schedule is able to mitigate effects of fatigue, sustaining safe levels of fatigue and readiness thus ensuring high levels of operational effect can be maintained throughout the mission.