Refining the Walter Reed Sleep Management System: An Exemplar for Systems Improvement Using a Macroergonomic Approach

Abstract

Sleep deprivation, by impairing performance capacity, threatens health and safety across both civilian and military sectors. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) has developed a sleep management system (SMS) which provides a sociotechnical template for research in this area. A literature review was conducted to lay the groundwork for development of additional empirical research studies relative to sleep deprivation in order to further develop the sleep management system. Based on the existing body of knowledge regarding sleep deprivation effects on cognitive performance, and based on the ongoing development of the sleep management system, we suggest that a macroergonomic or sociotechnical systems approach to intervention may be useful in optimizing health and safety performance. This paper reviews the pertinent sleep deprivation literature and outlines the important issues for a macroergonomic research agenda.