The Effect of Sleep Leadership Training on Army Holistic Health and Fitness Human Performance Team Members

Abstract: Research objectives: to determine the effect of SLT on the sleep-related knowledge, practices, attitudes, beliefs, and perceived competency of HPT members and to explore their experiences addressing Service member sleep, as well as their perceived value in receiving SLT. Design: quasi-experimental, concurrent triangulation mixed methods design. Setting: United States Army Holistic Health and Fitness, virtual education. Participants: United States Army Holistic Health and Fitness Human Performance Team Members, 31 participants. Interventions: Sleep Leadership Training was conducted virtually and consisted of a combination of Power Points, video clips, and handouts. The training focused on five leader behaviors that can improve a unit's sleep outcomes and teaching simulations. Main outcome measures: Sleep Knowledge and Attitudes, Subcomponents of the Sleep Practices and Attitudes Questionnaire (SPAQ) including sleep practices and sleep beliefs, perceived competence scale. Results: Two days of SLT had significant effects on Human Performance Team Members' perceived competence to address sleep in the Army. It had some significant effects on their attitudes and knowledge about sleep and no significant effects on their sleep practices or sleep beliefs. Conclusions: Results suggest that HPT members benefited from this OT-led, sleep educational intervention through enhancement of their competence to address sleep in the Army. Most HPT members lack foundational education related to sleep but through self-directed learning initiatives, have gained some education. Aspects of the Military culture serves as a barrier to sleep and SMs and HPT members engage in a phenomenon known as revenge sleep procrastination. HPT members themselves struggle to obtain sufficient sleep and more research is needed to identify methods of overcoming specific barriers to sleep imposed on Service members.