YACHT: How do small crews get enough restful sleep?
Dr Melanie Alburg: The smaller the crew, the more important it is to never completely drain your batteries - so don't force yourself to stay awake until you're completely exhausted. A change in the weather or a defect can quickly extend the time at sea considerably and suddenly demand my full commitment. I still need to have reserves of energy for this. That's why I think it makes sense to have a specific watch plan for a crew of two. However, this can be handled flexibly, with a watch lasting half an hour longer or shorter depending on how tired you are.
What do you recommend to single-handed sailors?
It is best for single-handed sailors to break their sleep down into several small intervals that add up to sufficient recovery sleep per day. The best way to do this would be to have a sleep laboratory analyse your sleep type and determine the duration and frequency of sleep that will give you the best recovery. However, this effort is best made by professional regatta athletes. But everyone should know this: We don't have to sleep for long periods at a time to regenerate. A nap of around 20 minutes is actually valuable because we recover but do not yet enter the deep sleep phase. When the alarm goes off after 20 minutes of sleep, I don't feel exhausted or even disorientated - both of which can happen if I'm torn from a deep sleep.
Can you train yourself to fall asleep quickly and easily even in rough weather?
You can't really practise this at home. And on the first few nights at sea, only experienced sailors will usually manage to fall asleep straight away, while others worry about possible problems on deck, collisions, man-overboard scenarios or sudden squalls. This is completely normal.
What does good sleep depend on?
The more experience you have on board, the quicker you will be able to fall asleep. Everyone has to find their own optimal way. You are constantly learning. For example, if I've realised that the forward berth is too restless for me on the upwind course, I'll lie down in the dog berth straight away in future and can sleep well there. To be able to fall asleep, however, I have to have a good deal of trust in my current sailing watch and, as a solo sailor, in my electronic alarms, which wake me up before a critical approach.
Is sleeping on board different?
Yes, you intuitively perceive sounds or the slightest changes during sleep. Just as a sleeping mother always senses her child.
