SLEEP, TEAM AND SOCIAL PROCESSES, AND HEALTH, PERFORMANCE, AND SAFETY IN NAVAL OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract Introduction Sleep disruption and teamwork are inherent features of 24/7 operational environments, yet little is known about how sleep and team/social processes interact to affect crew readiness and endurance. Methods We analyzed data of 3,434 active duty US sailors (80% male) from the Afloat Safety Climate Assessment Survey. Using structural equation modeling, we specified latent factors of Sleep Health (typical hours of sleep per day and sleep disturbances in shipboard environment); crew team and social factors of Team Transition Processes, Team Action Processes, Team Interpersonal Processes, Unit Cohesion, Psychological Safety, and Social Support; and operational outcome risks of Physical Health (no. days in previous 30 with physical illness or injury), Mental Health (no. days with stress, depression, or emotional problems), Performance (frequency of fatigue-induced functional impairments on duty), and Safety (individual and crew noncompliance, and rate of observed near misses). Results Higher Sleep Health reduced impairments in Physical Health, Mental Health, Performance, and Safety (standardized βs = −0.096 to −0.542, ps < 0.0001, CFI/TLI > 0.980, RMSEA = 0.033). Higher Sleep Health improved Team Transition, Action, and Interpersonal Processes, Unit Cohesion, Psychological Safety, and Social Support (βs = 0.178 to 0.380, ps < 0.0001, CFI/TLI > 0.982, RMSEA = 0.029). Social Support reduced risks to Physical Health, Mental Health, and Performance; Team Interpersonal Processes reduced Metal Health risk; Psychological Safety reduced Performance and Safety risks; Unit Cohesion reduced Safety risk (βs = −0.053 to −0.709, ps < 0.05, CFI/TLI > 0.979, RMSEA = 0.027). Mediation models indicated good Sleep Health enhances Social Support’s beneficial impact on Physical Health, Mental Health, and Performance; Psychological Safety’s impact on Performance and Safety; Team Interpersonal Processes’ impact on Physical Health; and Unit Cohesion’s impact on Safety (indirect effect βs = −0.032 to −0.127, ps < 0.0001, CFI/TLI > 0.967, RMSEAs < 0.051). Conclusion Sleep health improves team/social functioning, which serves an additive protective function and enhancement to crew operational health, performance, and safety. Future work should closely examine these interrelationships to identify mechanisms as targets for policy and procedures to help optimize crew readiness and endurance. Support (If Any) Military Operational Medicine Research Program under work unit N2010.