GROTON, Conn. — With no sunlight to set day apart from night on a submarine, the U.S. Navy for decades has staggered sailors’ working hours on schedules with little resemblance to life above the ocean’s surface.
Research by a Navy laboratory in Groton is leading to changes. Military scientists concluded that submarine sailors, who traditionally begin a new workday every 18 hours, show less fatigue on a 24-hour schedule, and the Navy has endorsed the findings for any skippers who want to make the switch.
The first submarine to try the new schedule on a full deployment was the USS Scranton, led by Cmdr. Seth Burton, a cancer survivor. He said the illness he experienced as a junior officer helped convince him of the benefits of keeping a sleep pattern in line with the body’s natural rhythm.
He said sailors always managed to adapt to the old schedule, but the new hours were well-received. “The crew loved it,” he said. “I saw a great response.”
