For most of us, getting enough sleep isn't a life-or-death kind of thing. Sure, we might make poor decisions , but our being sleepy at the marketing meeting tomorrow is not going to get someone killed.

During WWII, though, the U.S. military quickly got hip to the fact that if fighter pilots didn't get sleep, their poor decisions had dire consequences. Their mishaps included errors that resulted in their being shot down--or shooting down guys on their own side.

Helping combat pilots get good rest fast became a priority.