5 ms·

Military for 24 years, never heard of this, but I learned to take naps in crazy situations: next to a hot landing zone, under an aircraft catapult, in cargo pla

Military for 24 years, never heard of this, but I learned to take naps in crazy situations: next to a hot landing zone, under an aircraft catapult, in cargo planes, etc. Only common denominators I can think of: exhaustion, a clear conscience, and trust in those around me.

gk1 8y ago
> exhaustion This is key. Aboard a ship I was able to nap "on command" no matter the time of day or my surroundings. No mental tricks necessary.
- ryanmarsh 8y ago
  That was more likely sleep deprivation.
  - WalterSear 8y ago
    Which is the actual military trick to falling asleep quickly.
- taneq 8y ago
  Yeah, I was expecting Step 1 to be: Start your day with a 20 mile run in full gear. Step 2 is to get permission to fall asleep.
  - brandonhall 8y ago
    Well done!
  - bradknowles 8y ago
    There is no step 3 — because you’re already asleep! ;)
sandworm101 8y ago
Not in 24 just yet, but in long enough to understand. For me the big difference is how non-complex your life is on deployment, or even just while on course. By the time sleep is an option, there aren't any other jobs to do. I'm not worried about long term tasks or office politics. I don't have to worry about neighbors, traffic cameras, or even whether I remembered to pick up groceries. The one job I am supposed to be doing is sleeping. Everything else is someone else's job. It is a little different for officers. They (we) do sometimes stay up worrying about longer-term tasks. I find sleep far easier when I'm not the one in charge. On that note: time to sleep. Got to get up at 0345 for an 0530 meeting.
maxxxxx 8y ago
When I was in military I could also sleep anywhere, anytime, to a certain degree even while standing or walking. I attribute it to excessive drinking :-) .
toomanybeersies 8y ago
> a clear conscience That's the real killer for me. I'm not military, but I've managed to somehow get pretty good at sleeping pretty much anywhere. Sleeping on planes or in departure lounges or really anywhere isn't an issue for me, although maybe a steam catapult might keep me up. I think that the hundreds of nights I've slept on couches and backpackers hostels (as well as overnight buses and car trips) have acclimatised me to sleeping in noisy, moving, well lit environments. I think it's just something that you just get used to. All through South East Asia you'll see people sleeping in the most improbably places, on parked motorbikes, park benches, even in the middle of a busy roundabout in Vietnam. South East Asian people seem to just love sleeping everywhere they can. But I can only sleep if there aren't things biting at the back of my mind. If something's bothering me (relationships, work, etc.), it doesn't matter how perfect my sleeping environment is, I won't be able to get to sleep for hours. My mind is sleep's worst enemy.
mayakam 8y ago
> a clear conscience if you're in the US military, at least, that part would be pretty much impossible (unless, of course, you're either brainwashed or delusional)
newnewpdro 8y ago
The power of the shortest of naps to completely reset the body's pursuit of sleep in deprivation scenarios never fails to impress me. Even just a few seconds seems to make a tremendous difference, as if it's clearing a "need sleep" bit simply by falling asleep even if momentarily.
mattmanser 8y ago
It's a UK website, they're talking about the UK military.
- onychomys 8y ago
  Does the UK military not do PT? I'm sure their soldiers are just as exhausted at any given moment as ours are.
  - mattmanser 8y ago
    As in, that's why you might not have heard of it.

gk1 8y ago

> exhaustion This is key. Aboard a ship I was able to nap "on command" no matter the time of day or my surroundings. No mental tricks necessary.

ryanmarsh 8y ago
That was more likely sleep deprivation.
- WalterSear 8y ago
  Which is the actual military trick to falling asleep quickly.
taneq 8y ago
Yeah, I was expecting Step 1 to be: Start your day with a 20 mile run in full gear. Step 2 is to get permission to fall asleep.
- brandonhall 8y ago
  Well done!
- bradknowles 8y ago
  There is no step 3 — because you’re already asleep! ;)

sandworm101 8y ago

Not in 24 just yet, but in long enough to understand. For me the big difference is how non-complex your life is on deployment, or even just while on course. By the time sleep is an option, there aren't any other jobs to do. I'm not worried about long term tasks or office politics. I don't have to worry about neighbors, traffic cameras, or even whether I remembered to pick up groceries. The one job I am supposed to be doing is sleeping. Everything else is someone else's job. It is a little different for officers. They (we) do sometimes stay up worrying about longer-term tasks. I find sleep far easier when I'm not the one in charge. On that note: time to sleep. Got to get up at 0345 for an 0530 meeting.

maxxxxx 8y ago

When I was in military I could also sleep anywhere, anytime, to a certain degree even while standing or walking. I attribute it to excessive drinking :-) .

toomanybeersies 8y ago

> a clear conscience That's the real killer for me. I'm not military, but I've managed to somehow get pretty good at sleeping pretty much anywhere. Sleeping on planes or in departure lounges or really anywhere isn't an issue for me, although maybe a steam catapult might keep me up. I think that the hundreds of nights I've slept on couches and backpackers hostels (as well as overnight buses and car trips) have acclimatised me to sleeping in noisy, moving, well lit environments. I think it's just something that you just get used to. All through South East Asia you'll see people sleeping in the most improbably places, on parked motorbikes, park benches, even in the middle of a busy roundabout in Vietnam. South East Asian people seem to just love sleeping everywhere they can. But I can only sleep if there aren't things biting at the back of my mind. If something's bothering me (relationships, work, etc.), it doesn't matter how perfect my sleeping environment is, I won't be able to get to sleep for hours. My mind is sleep's worst enemy.

mayakam 8y ago

> a clear conscience if you're in the US military, at least, that part would be pretty much impossible (unless, of course, you're either brainwashed or delusional)

newnewpdro 8y ago

The power of the shortest of naps to completely reset the body's pursuit of sleep in deprivation scenarios never fails to impress me. Even just a few seconds seems to make a tremendous difference, as if it's clearing a "need sleep" bit simply by falling asleep even if momentarily.

mattmanser 8y ago

It's a UK website, they're talking about the UK military.

onychomys 8y ago
Does the UK military not do PT? I'm sure their soldiers are just as exhausted at any given moment as ours are.
- mattmanser 8y ago
  As in, that's why you might not have heard of it.