I was doing some research on sleep discipline -- consistently sleeping enough, at good times, and in circumstances where doing so isn't easy.
And I came across this gem published by the U.S. Army:
Generally speaking, you get better right-to-the-point information from practical military manuals than almost any other source. There's less tolerance for superstition, identity-driven agendas, or long or excessively clever narratives.
It also puts things in proper context, like this:
SLEEP RECOVERY4-15. Ultimately, the Soldier must be allowed recovery sleep. Following a single, acute (2 to 3 days) total sleep loss, most Soldiers will usually recover completely if allowed a 12-hour recovery sleep period, preferably during the night.
Fascinating! To perform regular combat duties, commanders are advised that "most Soldiers will usually recover completely if allowed a 12-hour recovery sleep period, preferably during the night" following a single, once-off set of Soldiers being awake for 2-3 days in a row.
The Army also usually employs a ruthless hatred of superstition... consider these:
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SLEEP AND SLEEP LOSS4-40.It is common for individuals to think that they are less vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss than their peers either because they just need less sleep or because they are better able to tough it out. In part, this is because the Soldier who is sleep-deprived loses the self-awareness of how his performance is impaired. Objective measures of performance during sleep loss in such persons typically reveal substantial impairment.4-41.Some individuals think that they can sleep anywhere and that they are such good sleepers that external noise and light do not bother them. However, it has been shown that sleep is invariably lighter and more fragmented (and thus less restorative) in noisy, well-lit environments (like the tactical operations center). Sleep that is obtained in dark, quiet environments is more efficient (more restorative per minute of sleep).4-42.Although it is true that many people habitually obtain 6 hours of sleep or less per night, it is not true that most of these people only need that amount of sleep. Evidence suggests that those who habitually sleep longer at night tend to generally perform better and tend to withstand the effects of subsequent sleep deprivation better than those who habitually obtain less sleep.
Brilliant. All of Chapter 4 is worth a read. It's dry, but very insightful.