Enhancing Sleep Efficiency on Vessels in the Tug/Towboat/Barge Industry

TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) Report 36: Enhancing Sleep Efficiency on Vessels in the Tug/Towboat/Barge Industry provides best practices to improve an operator's sleep and reduce operator fatigue in the United States inland waterway industry, including the use of anchor-sleep/nap-sleep strategies.

NCFRP Report 36 identifies and describes the metrics that could be used to evaluate current operational interventions (e.g., educational materials and programs; noise abatement; sleep disorders screening, especially sleep apnea; wellness and nutritional programs) for their effectiveness in improving sleep efficiency on tugs/towboats/barges; evaluates the use of anchor-sleep/nap-sleep strategies on sleep behavior among personnel in the inland waterway industry; and identifies barriers that inhibit waterway personnel from adopting good sleep management practices and propose ways to overcome the barriers.

The report also develops a list of best practices that could be implemented by the waterway industry, companies, crews, or individuals to enhance sleep efficiency; and includes a compendium of best practices for enhancing sleep efficiency in the U.S. inland waterway industry.