Sleep health of incoming army trainees and how it changes during basic combat training

Objective: To examine the sleep health of incoming Army trainees and how it is impacted during basic combat training (BCT).

Design: Prospective.

Setting: BCT site (Fort Jackson, SC).

Participants: A total of 1349 trainees (936 = male, 413 = female, 20.73 ± 3.67 years).

Measurements: Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale at the start of BCT and a modified PSQI at the end of BCT.

Results: At baseline, trainees reported an average sleep duration of 7.65 ± 1.68 hours per night, with 81.8% rating their sleep quality as "Very Good or Fairly Good." The mean reported Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire score was 50.63 ± 8.11 and the mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale was 8.60 ± 4.02. Reported sleep duration was significantly less during BCT (6.73 ± 0.90 hours) compared to baseline (P< .001). There was no significant difference in the mean PSQI Global score at the end of BCT compared to the start (5.33 ± 3.00 vs. 5.42 ± 2.85, P = .440), however, 6 of the 7 component scores were significantly different (with Sleep Quality, Sleep Duration, and Daytime Dysfunction scores being higher/worse and Sleep Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and Sleep Medication Use scores being lower/improved [all P < .01]).

Conclusions: Army BCT trainees in this large sample reported good sleep health characteristics at entry to training, including achieving recommended sleep amounts (>7 hours per night) and reporting good sleep quality. During BCT, negative changes were observed in reported sleep duration and quality in trainees. Further investigation into the factors contributing to changes in trainees' sleep health during BCT and the implications on subsequent readiness, injury risk, and performance is warranted.