OTTAWA -- The Canadian Forces is considering a new policy to allow the air force to dish out downers to its crews in an effort to make sure they get enough sleep and avoid mistakes that could cost them their lives, a senior military doctor says.

Maj. Tarek Sardana, the assistant medical adviser to the chief of the air staff, said he supports providing sleeping aids to soldiers on missions, and believes the military should seriously consider providing uppers as well.

Sardana said fatigue is slowing down Hercules transport plane personnel working in the Afghanistan area and caused a near-miss in July 2003 when a navigational error brought about by chronic fatigue saw a Herc barely crest a mountain ridge.

"Fatigue is a player when you're working 12 time zones away," Sardana said in an interview. "It's not like sleeping at home."

LOTS OF REST NEEDED

He pointed out that Sea King helicopter crews who sleep on the navy ships are even more prone than Hercules personnel to suffering from fatigue.

Sardana said everyone needs about six to 12 days of rest to be on top of their game after travelling to Afghanistan, but sometimes missions can't wait that long.

And unlike many travelling Canadians who turn to natural or pharmaceutical products to ease their jet lag, help them sleep or even stay awake, soldiers are not allowed to take any drugs without the explicit permission of a military doctor.

At the moment the Canadian Forces does not have a policy in place that would allow doctors to prescribe uppers or downers.

Sardana, who was involved in extensive military research and development studies in Toronto on downers, said the way has been cleared to allow the armed forces to draft a policy that would give soldiers access to what they call "no-go" and "go" pills.

"We're close to being able to give something on the no-go side or developing a policy on it," Sardana said.

"Somebody's got to take the time and put the policy together."

Sardana said he doesn't see much controversy in approving pills like Imovane for military personnel, which he says millions of North Americans use as sleeping aids or to fight jet lag.

'NO DOWNSIDE'

"In short term use and well-controlled there's really no downside," he said, adding the military would have to ensure that none of the crews are allowed to work within eight hours of taking their sleeping aid.

Sardana said the Canadian Forces might not need to move toward approving the use of uppers since its soldiers and air crews are not required to perform high-tempo missions similar to U.S. bombing campaigns.

"It's ultimately the commander of the air force and the chief of defence staff to decide whether it's something the Canadian Forces values as a tool in the tool chest in terms of being combat-effective," Sardana said.

He said not much research has been done by the Canadian military on the effects of using uppers, but a policy could be drafted based on U.S. research.

The U.S. military provides both uppers and downers to its soldiers and air crews.