United States Army Major David Nixon is a man of many talents and skills. He is also very passionate about the work he does and the difference he can make. One specific focus has stood out for him, though, sleep. He has been devoted to increasing awareness of its importance in general, and especially for the fellow heroes he serves America with.
“Sleep’s benefits are too vast, and detriment is too comprehensive to be ignored by the military.”
Nixon grew up on a ranch in northeast Texas. Both of his grandfathers had military experience going back to World War II, and he spoke proudly of their commitment to country.
“Both of them had a great history of service,” he said. That service trickled down to Nixon and his brother, who has served in the Army for 18 years. They are actually stationed together at Fort Liberty.
“This is the first time we have been stationed together.”
Nixon was also very active as a child, playing sports such as baseball, soccer, and others.
Nixon’s military career began because he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself. He saw himself paying tribute to those that came before him while making his own impact so others can do the same in the future.
Nixon’s approach to fitness today is more of a calculated one. His training regimen includes Zone 2 level long-distance running, a weekly sprint workout, hot yoga, and strength training to support and build muscle mass.
“I’m very much more of an endurance athlete than a strength athlete, but I am trying to make that more balanced.”
SLEEP MATTERS MOST
Nixon also pays attention to recovery, which led him to his deep dive into sleep. He started looking into the matter for himself after he used a fitness tracker and discovered he wasn’t sleeping as much or as well as he should. That led him to doing more research and discovering he wasn’t the only one with this problem.
“As I was reading more about this and talking to experts, this was a well-discovered thing that the military hadn’t gotten its arms around yet.”
Nixon took the initiative and has not looked back since. His efforts led him to writing an article on the matter with Major Porter Riley that was published by Military Review. Nixon doesn’t claim to be an expert on the topic, but he is learning more every day and sharing that knowledge, which is making a more positive impact throughout the entire military at large.
The Army has also been focusing on wellness of servicemembers through Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) teams. That program is growing, but it does not reach all servicemembers as of yet. Nixon started a new position as Operations Officer for a new battalion, and it is the first unit he has worked with that has a H2F team in place. He is optimistic about working with the group to implement new trackers that can monitor fitness measurements, including sleep.
“We need to be able to leverage data is the real difference maker. How quickly are you able to adapt, how quickly are you to aggregate data, and then make decisions from that data?”
WHY IT MATTERS
Nixon stated that less quality sleep can affect individual’s consistency to perform and function. If you are not going to bed and waking up at the same time, then melatonin and hormone release can be altered.
“The more consistent you are with that, the more your body can predict when you go to sleep and get that melatonin release so you fall asleep.”
Nixon also referenced how the military has a history of high use of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, all of which can affect recovery and sleep.
Nixon explained, “when you get in a cycle of being under rested, you may think ‘I am going to use caffeine all day long.’ Now you’re at the end of the day, and you’re wired. So, you’re going to use alcohol to wind down. That means your sleep is not going to be optimized.”
The combination of caffeine and alcohol combined with the low-quality sleep can lead to a snowball effect that can only make matters worse.
Lack of sleep can also affect memory retention. It is easier for someone to not only learn but retain information if their brain is working optimally, which requires adequate sleep every night.
“If you are trying to do something specific like teach, then don’t try to jam everything in. Allow them time to rest so what you’re teaching can be retained.”
NIXON’s THREE TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP
Nixon is not one that just points out problems, he works on finding solutions, and he has three tips that can help everyone improve sleep so they can improve themselves.
1. Be Consistent – “Try to go to bed every night at the same time so you can get that melatonin release and sleep more consistently.
2. Education – “People just don’t know this stuff. They think they know that they can drink a 12-pack and will to sleep, but the sleep is not good.”
3. Optimizing Work Schedule – “We have to train hard, but there has to be a recovery plan for your people. We need to sleep before being released, or we need a tactical plan for sleep, like tactically taking a nap throughout the day so you are ready to perform.”
MORE WORK TO COME
Nixon’s continuing his research on sleep and working to continue making a positive difference. That research includes the impact on depression, suicide, and more. His attention on this matter has the potential to save countless lives and positively impact the United States Armed Forces at large. He is serving in a different role than those of his grandfathers, but his work is just as important and will impact the future heroes of our country. He hopes many young adults will consider service because he feels they will connect with their units as kids do their favorite sports teams or teams they played with themselves.
“That is the sense of belonging that you can feel in the military.”
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this article.