Photo By Airman 1st Class Paula Arce | Lt. Col. Brian Everitt, 22nd Medical Group family advocacy officer, teaches a Sleep...... read more read more
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MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – With 24-hour operations supporting critical missions, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing runs around the clock.
The constant activity, in combination with deployments or temporary duty (TDY) assignments, means irregular work hours. This environment creates challenges for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, especially when it comes to sleep.
Sleep difficulties impact almost everyone at some point in their life. To address this challenge, Lt. Col. Brian Everitt, 22nd Medical Group family advocacy officer, is offering a Sleep Health class designed to help Airmen improve their sleep and overall well-being.
“In the periodic health assessment data, sleep problems are a recurring theme marked by Airmen,” Everitt said. “This class is offered to help provide Airmen the tools to address this issue at a lower level before the need to seek medication from their primary care physician.”
The course provides Airmen with the knowledge to meet mission demands while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Everitt’s class guides its participants on how to use a free app, CBT-i Coach, developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in collaboration with the Department of Defense. The app uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia techniques to help users improve their sleep with key features including sleep tracking, sleep education and relaxation tools.
“This is an interactive class that is very much an educational learning experience,” said Annie Carroll, 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron True North social worker. “Teaching participants how to use the CBT-i app helps individuals have an easy way to improve their sleep while also having accountability with a tool on their phone.”
McConnell leaders strive to find ways to balance the demands of the mission while maintaining a healthy environment for Airmen and their families.
“It is my hope this class will help Airmen to meet the mission demands,” Everitt said “and provide them the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle so they can perform at their peak and still feel they can enjoy their down time with family and friends.”
The Sleep Class is available upon request and Lt Col Everitt will come to your squadron to present the class. A squadron’s first sergeant or senior enlisted leader can reach out to the mental health clinic on base at 759-5095 or to Everitt directly at brian.everitt@us.af.mil for more information or to request a class.
Links to the CBT-I Sleep app are available on the free Air Force Connect app. Users of AF Connect should navigate to the 22 ARW page (available in Favorites) and click on the Medical Tab to access both the Sleep App and a video explaining the app.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2024 12:08 |
| Story ID: | 481184 |
| Location: | WICHITA, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Rest for Success: 22 MDG Introduces New Sleep Health Class and App, by A1C Paula Arce, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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