Navy SEAL Sleep Deprivation Tips
Barely a week goes by without an athlete emailing asking “Coach, how the #@%& did you stay awake during two Hell Week beat downs in Navy SEAL training?
No sleep for a week? Isn’t that impossible?
How do Navy SEALs deal with sleep deprivation?
Check out these tips – but WARNING – don’t try this at home.
TIP #10
Chunking.
Break it up into chunks. Never ever think about the end of the week. Only think about the task that you doing at that moment.
Check out this video showing a few of the evolutions at Navy SEAL BUD/S Hell Week and how tired these candidates are becoming.
Question: Are you allowed to take any supplements to BUDS with you and keep them in your locker?
Answer: The only supplement that is allowed to be used at BUDS are one a day multi-vitamins.
While I was at BUDS (almost 11 months) I used a multi vitamin and it helped give me an extra boost to recover my worn out muscles.
I still take a one a day vitamin like SEAL Multi Vitamin today.
TIP #9
This is an easy one to help you get through the first night and not think as much that you are tired and want to lay down.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article HERE:
Answer: Those are the Vasque Men’s Juxt Multisport Shoe
These shoes are a hybrid trail running shoe with more stability for moving in arduous terrain.
They are very lightweight and dry out quickly when submersed.
We like the aggressive tread and the ability to snug up the shoe with the lacing pattern and shoe material. It can snug up on your feet like a good climbing shoe.
TIP #8
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Question: What is a good book on what to expect during BUDS training?
Answer: We like the book Breaking BUD/S: How Regular Guys Can Become Navy SEALs
It gives you a good idea of what to expect and how the training is set up.
Yes; BUDS is extremely hard training… so stop fooling yourself.
Read this book and then start implementing some of the tips and good advise this book has.
Check out this video showing the first 48 hours of Navy SEAL BUD/S Training Hell Week and how it can take a toll on your body and mind.
At the 48 hour mark I was starting to forget small details so I really had to tighten down and focus.
Question: What socks are issued in BUDS training?
Answer: They are issued the Vermont Darn Tough Merino Boot Socks
If you do happen to wear these socks out (which will be really hard), you just mail back the sock to Darn Tough headquarters in Vermont and they will send you a free pair at no cost.
I personally have two pairs that I wear all of the time for hiking and trail running.
Tip #7
This is one of the first things that I learned from the other trainees that helped me stay up on our first late night training event.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Question: Do you recommend a protein powder for building muscle and staying lean for training?
Answer: Yes; I personally use Ascent Protein and would definitely recommend it for building lean muscle and helping your body to recover from hard workouts.
I drank of big glass of milk and Ascent Protein after my last workout at the gym.
TIP #6
Once I knew this tip I was good to go.
My swim buddy told me to do it and of course I did and it worked really good.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Answer: That is just a Jungle Boonie floppy hat
I was issued one back in the day for jungle training and still have it in my closet today.
TIP #5
No one told me this tip at BUDS. I learned it on my own the hard way.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
BUDS candidates use the Bates 922 boots
These are all around good lightweight boots that drain well when you get them soaked in water. You can’t go wrong in dollar value with these boots.
Check out this video of BUDS Class 234 as they show some of the tough training and most of these guys are going to bed at 10 pm and waking up at 4 am to start the next day.
I remember standing on the side of that pool during winter months and felt like I was freezing my butt off.
If the wind picked up a little bit it could be a long afternoon in and out of the pool.
TIP #4
I still use this tip today and have shared it with a few friends on endurance races.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Answer: I love the book “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
Even if you are not in the military it is a great story.
My mom has read this book and recommended it to all of her friends.
TIP #3
This tip is easy to implement and will get you feeling better and forgetting about sleep in no time.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Answer: We like the Cressi F1 Frameless Dive Mask, Brown
A drill we like to train our guys with is to throw numerous items into the pool and have them see how many breaths it takes to pick them all up and get them to the surface and side of the pool.
It can be harder than you think depending on what some of the items area (try a small sofa cushion and it gets fully soaked).
TIP #2
I actually learned this tip in boot camp during night duty and having to walk the edge of the barracks.
I almost messed up by sitting down but caught myself before I nodded off.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Question: What kind of knife did they issue you in BUDS?
Answer: We were issued the MK 3 Mod O US Navy Dive Knife 
The tip of the knife is super pointy and sharp.
You can use the handle to hammer on a nail or whatever. If you needed to build a survival shelter it could do that.
Even after all these years they are still using the dive knife for day to day training and operations.
TIP #1
By far this is the number one tip.
If you don’t do this you could get really tired and hurt someone in training.
Check out the Rest of the SGPT Exlusive Article + Tips HERE:
Check out these tips from our readers and athletes at the gym.
Question: “Coach, what is the craziest place you had to sleep while you were in the Teams?”.
I once threw out a mat and slept between two torpedoes.
Question: “Coach, I heard that in BUDS you get so tired your falling asleep standing up?”. Yes; it is weird to catch your self falling forward and coming out of a sleep.
I try to work out hard to fatigue the body. I read before bed and not watch the evening news.
Occasionally I use a small dropper of Melatonin liquid
This stuff will do the trick but you will not feel groggy in the morning.
Question: “Coach, how much sleep did you get in BUDS?”.
Answer: I got about 5 hours a night – maybe 6 hours.
Question: How much sleep did you get in Hell Week? I fell asleep a few times. Maybe 15 minutes here or there. But it was all a blur so not sure.
Question: Do Navy SEALs use anything to help them sleep in rough conditions? If you have access to it – some take Melatonin
Question: how much do navy you sleep during a mission? Not very much if at all. Depends on the mission as sometimes you can sleep in transit on a chopper or boat ride.
Question: “How come they make trainees stay awake for 5 and half days in Hell Week?”
The BUDS trainees stay awake for five plus days in Hell Week to make sure they can do it in a war zone. SEAL operators and war veterans often have had to stay awake for 72 hours on and 12 hours of shifts. When a battle breaks out you have no choice but to stay awake and get the job done.
Question: What is the average sleep do you get on missions?
Answer: Very little to no sleep on missions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brad McLeod is married with two kids and an all around average family guy. His SGPT motivational audios have been downloaded in 30 countries around the world.
He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and despite training all the wrong ways – made it to Navy SEAL training in Coronado, California.
He flunked out of Navy SEAL BUD/S training after making it over half way through (6 months of grueling training). After a year in the Fleet Navy on the USS Cleveland (LPD-7) he came back to graduate BUDS and serve on SEAL Team Four.
His story is simple–Don’t Ever Quit on your Dream! Put one foot in front of the other and fall forward.
Proceeds from this website go to help raise funds for the Navy SEAL Foundation on CrowdRise.
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December 16, 2013 @ 9:50 am
Hey Brad,
Great tips I have used all of them before in my military career and can say that they work. As surprising as it may sound pissing your pants works, team members will laugh at each other boosting their moral and yours. The biggest thing for me was trying to keep a positive mind and not thinkin about the end, it’ll make you sloppy, and some people start to shut down. You and your fireteam partner have to be there go you when you need it. One tip I have is more for an OP or radio watch shift; it involves taking a pen ( or a stick whatever you have) and placing it under your chin and in jugular notch. The pressure from your “head bob” on the pen when you start to doze off will wake you back up
December 16, 2013 @ 11:04 am
Great info, Brad, thanks !
I see so many people quit things that are not anywhere close to what you have shown here, it is pathetic.
It is always inspiring to see these videos, it reminds me that not everyone is lazy and wimpy.
Thank GOD for the men who are willing to go through this training!
December 16, 2013 @ 3:55 pm
I sent this in jest to Brad, but he said it was good info as it pointed out how your body can react on too-little sleep (outside of a “necessary” one during Hell Week or Kokoro).
Tip #8 Keep moving.
That is the first rule. If you stop moving you will fall asleep. Doesn’t matter if your standing up or laying down. You will fall asleep. Keep moving.
Maybe. 🙂
I say that because I remember being so wiped out by the time I got to tech school and then having to get up at three most mornings to fall out for school, then studying late into the evening that I frequently “slept marched” from start to arrival, and that included turning, stopping for people to fall out to their building, then starting again; our building was last. It was at least a mile. So weird to be getting into formation and then waking up at the end point and having zero memory of having done anything.
I at least had the safety of being among other people — “herd protection”, if you will (though I’m sure I wasn’t the only one marching in my sleep). If this had happened while I was alone, maybe out on a busy street (or driving), that would have been detrimentally dangerous.
So unless you’re at BUD/S or Kokoro (where you have that “herd protection”), sleep deprivation is best avoided.
December 16, 2013 @ 8:20 pm
Great stuff, coach, thanks!
I was reading through the tips and was thinking about the times that I have to go overnight with my job at Walmart such as next week on Christmas night to get the store ready for the New Year, and how I stay up most of the day before, and of course with all the work going on it is hard to think about sleep. During lunch I go outside to my car, and do not turn on the heater on the car instead I keep the car off and listen to some good ole rock and roll while staying warm and reading a good book.
Now, when I have to do a full week overnight I do the same thing for the first day, and during the week I have a hard time sleeping during the day so my sleep is broken up in three two hour intervals. Otherwise, I do the same thing for lunch by going outside to my car and listening to good music while reading a good book.
December 28, 2013 @ 3:42 am
One to add, a marine buddy took the tobasco sauce from an mre and would put it in his nose. By day five in fallujah i believe he was putting the tabsco in the inside cracks of his eyes. Whatevr works and keeps everyone alive! 🙂
Sleep and Rest for CrossFit Athletes
March 26, 2014 @ 1:56 pm
[…] Related Articles: 10 Tips on Writing Goals for CrossFit Athletes 10 Tips to breaking through plateaus Unbeatable Mind Academy Review 10 Tips to Breaking through Plateaus Check out this SGPT Ruck March workout Log PT workout tips for Special Forces Athletes Mental Conditioning inside a tough workout Navy SEAL Sleep Deprivation Tips […]
November 23, 2014 @ 6:05 pm
While I was eniligble for military service back in the late 60’s & early 70’s from 2006-2013 I was a 24/7 caregiver for my wife. We married in 1972 & had been dating since 1967. I was still working full time & had to stay up all night to do PT, administer meds, write progress notes, dr appts, cook, wash, etc. I was averaging about 10 hours sleep per week & finally took early retirement in June 2008. I found my Angel Switch also called The Third Man. That pulled me through all those years. It wasn’t till years later did I found out what it was. I thought I was hallucinating. I still suffer from disrupted sleep patterns & probably have had few if any delta sleep but I’ve learned to live with it. Thanks for the tips & sacrifice you & your loved ones have had to endure.
December 19, 2014 @ 11:51 am
Thanks David for your comments.
email me brad “at” sealgrinderpt “dot” com and I will send you a free motivational audio.
February 11, 2015 @ 9:13 am
Coach,
Do you recommend practicing sleep deprivation prior to attending Kokora?
Hooyah
pat
February 11, 2015 @ 12:25 pm
We recommend that you hike a hilly 20 mile ruck with a portion of that at night — if you can go all night.
October 5, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
Awesome tips!!! I will follow these through my training! HOOYAH!
November 5, 2015 @ 2:55 pm
I’m signed up for a triple heavy next September in San Diego. So basically, this event will be three 24-hour goruck heavies with 3 hours in between to re-fit/re-supply. I’ve got a pretty good handle on how I’m going to physically train for this, but what would you recommend on training for the fatigue and sleep deprivation?
November 5, 2015 @ 8:30 pm
it goes without saying but I would at least have a GR heavy under your belt before doing a triple. I believe they have it where you can do a GR heavy, then challenge, then light. I would train and do those. The rest i would use the tips above to keep you pushing through. After the second night you will start to numb up and can push on to the third day. Best of luck and skills Jeff and let me know when you are done as we would love to do an interview with you.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
Will do, thanks.
April 9, 2016 @ 5:40 am
really good .easy to change the mind set idont mind so it don’t matter
June 11, 2016 @ 10:46 am
I’m 5’6 and about 135 pounds, do you think I should make an effort to get bigger to survive the cold? Or anything at all? I know its mind over matter and I read in American Sniper that Chris Kyle made it through BUD/S with a broken foot, but wouldn’t freezing from Hypothermia be different. Or am I just overthinking it?
June 15, 2016 @ 9:19 pm
in order to make the cut for Navy SEAL training you will have minimum weight standards. Are you talking to a Navy SEAL recruiter now?
March 25, 2017 @ 1:27 pm
What kind of hours did you sleep when you were in the teams? Such as going to sleep at 2400 and waking up at 0600. Also, what did you find was the least amount of sleep you could work off of and still work at the levels demanded?
March 28, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
It all depended on the mission. Sometimes you would go all night and not sleep until the next day. Sometimes you got in a midnite and slept a few hours. I would think sleeping 6 hours of sleep would be the minimum you would need if you had a hard day at work.