Staff Perspective: Sleep Isn’t Optional, It’s Operational
Most of us have struggled with getting enough sleep at some point, but when you compare sleep habits between civilians and service members, the difference is striking. While about a third of the general population reports not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, the number jumps to more than 85% among service members.
So why is sleep such a major challenge for military personnel? A 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides some answers. Medical conditions, like insomnia, sleep apnea, PTSD, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and TBI are all common and all negatively affect sleep. On top of that, challenging work hours are also a frequently reported problem. Service members often work irregular shifts, pull long hours, and wake up early, sometimes in high-stress, high-stakes environments. For deployed service members, sleeping gets even tougher due to poor conditions like loud noise, bad lighting, uncomfortable bedding, and extreme temperatures. All of these factors play a role in the reduced sleep health of service members. Sleep doesn’t just impact service members’ health, it impacts force readiness.
Force readiness is the “ability of military forces to fight and meet the demands of assigned missions in line with national strategy”. A key piece of this sentiment is combat readiness, which depends heavily on personnel being at the top of their game physically, cognitively, and socially. These three connected areas, known as the biopsychosocial model, can be severely impacted by sleep deprivation.
Physical Readiness
Sleep plays a major role in physical performance. It affects strength, endurance, visual sharpness, and the ability to carry out complex military tasks like handling firearms or executing tactical maneuvers. When service members are sleep deprived, they don’t just feel tired, they lift less, run slower, and their responses are delayed. They’re also more prone to injuries and weight gain, which can lead to early separation from service and higher healthcare costs. The physical impact goes far beyond what the average individual may experience after a night of poor sleep, it affects mission outcomes and force readiness.
Cognitive Readiness
Cognition is another critical piece. Reaction time, memory, focus, decision-making, and reasoning all take a hit when someone is sleep-deprived. In a military setting, even small mistakes can lead to severe consequences. Sleep also affects emotional regulation, making it harder to manage frustration or confusion and easier to fall into negative mood states. Mental fatigue makes even routine tasks feel more physically demanding, increasing the risk of injury, burnout, or mistakes.
Social Readiness
Sleep impacts how we relate to and work with others. This includes communication, teamwork, empathy, impulse control, and emotional intelligence. These abilities are crucial to effective teamwork and unit cohesion, which play a large role in mission success. Sleep deprived service members may find it harder to connect with others, resolve conflicts, or collaborate effectively. For leaders, the impact can be even more serious. Sleep-deprived leaders tend to struggle with decision-making, critical thinking, and memory, which can affect the entire unit. Interestingly, studies show that effective leadership can actually counteract some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation on team performance, making sleep a leadership issue too.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is more than just a health concern. It’s a readiness issue that affects every level of military performance, from the individual service member to the entire force. As research continues to unpack the full scope of how sleep shapes physical, cognitive, and social functioning, one thing is clear: sleep isn’t optional, it’s operational.
With this in mind, our team developed a series of targeted infographics designed to highlight how sleep is essential for operational readiness. These resources are tailored to meet the unique needs of different military audiences, including branches like Space Force, and leadership roles. Our goal is to equip service members with practical, actionable information to encourage them to prioritize sleep, and in turn, improve their performance and enhance combat readiness. The infographics can be accessed here: https://deploymentpsych.org/content/sleep-health-handouts
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Jaime Rodden, is a Research Coordinator for the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Linfield University, and Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from California State University, Fullerton.
References:
JCS, J. P. (2017). Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States, DOD,
Incorporating Change 1, July 12, 2017. GL-10.
https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/jp1_ch1.pdf?ver=2019-02-11-174350967
Office, G. A. (2024). Military readiness: Comprehensive approach needed to address
service member fatigue and manage related efforts.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-105917.pdf
Mysliwiec, V., Gill, J., Lee, H., Baxter, T., Pierce, R., Barr, T. L., Krakow, B., & Roth, B. J.
(2013). Sleep disorders in US military personnel: a high rate of comorbid insomnia and
obstructive sleep apnea. Chest, 144(2), 549-557.
Grandou, C., Wallace, L., Fullagar, H. H., Duffield, R., & Burley, S. (2019). The effects of
sleep loss on military physical performance. Sports Medicine, 49(8), 1159-1172.
Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine.
Science, 196(4286), 129-136.
LaGoy, A. D., Conkright, W. R., Proessl, F., Sinnott, A. M., Beckner, M. E., Jabloner, L.,
Eagle, S. R., Sekel, N. M., Roma, P. G., & Dretsch, M. N. (2023). Less daytime
sleepiness and slow wave activity during sleep predict better physical readiness in
military personnel. Sleep Health, 9(1), 93-99.
LoPresti, M. L., Anderson, J. A., Saboe, K. N., McGurk, D. L., Balkin, T. J., & Sipos, M. L.
(2016). The impact of insufficient sleep on combat mission performance. Military
Behavioral Health, 4(4), 356-363.
Killgore, W. D. (2010). Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Progress in brain
research, 185, 105-129.
Killgore, W. D., Kahn-Greene, E. T., Lipizzi, E. L., Newman, R. A., Kamimori, G. H., &
Balkin, T. J. (2008). Sleep deprivation reduces perceived emotional intelligence and
constructive thinking skills. Sleep medicine, 9(5), 517-526.
Olsen, O. K., Pallesen, S., Torsheim, T., & Espevik, R. (2016). The effect of sleep
deprivation on leadership behaviour in military officers: An experimental study. Journal of
sleep research, 25(6), 683-689.
Most of us have struggled with getting enough sleep at some point, but when you compare sleep habits between civilians and service members, the difference is striking. While about a third of the general population reports not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, the number jumps to more than 85% among service members.
So why is sleep such a major challenge for military personnel? A 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides some answers. Medical conditions, like insomnia, sleep apnea, PTSD, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and TBI are all common and all negatively affect sleep. On top of that, challenging work hours are also a frequently reported problem. Service members often work irregular shifts, pull long hours, and wake up early, sometimes in high-stress, high-stakes environments. For deployed service members, sleeping gets even tougher due to poor conditions like loud noise, bad lighting, uncomfortable bedding, and extreme temperatures. All of these factors play a role in the reduced sleep health of service members. Sleep doesn’t just impact service members’ health, it impacts force readiness.
Force readiness is the “ability of military forces to fight and meet the demands of assigned missions in line with national strategy”. A key piece of this sentiment is combat readiness, which depends heavily on personnel being at the top of their game physically, cognitively, and socially. These three connected areas, known as the biopsychosocial model, can be severely impacted by sleep deprivation.
Physical Readiness
Sleep plays a major role in physical performance. It affects strength, endurance, visual sharpness, and the ability to carry out complex military tasks like handling firearms or executing tactical maneuvers. When service members are sleep deprived, they don’t just feel tired, they lift less, run slower, and their responses are delayed. They’re also more prone to injuries and weight gain, which can lead to early separation from service and higher healthcare costs. The physical impact goes far beyond what the average individual may experience after a night of poor sleep, it affects mission outcomes and force readiness.
Cognitive Readiness
Cognition is another critical piece. Reaction time, memory, focus, decision-making, and reasoning all take a hit when someone is sleep-deprived. In a military setting, even small mistakes can lead to severe consequences. Sleep also affects emotional regulation, making it harder to manage frustration or confusion and easier to fall into negative mood states. Mental fatigue makes even routine tasks feel more physically demanding, increasing the risk of injury, burnout, or mistakes.
Social Readiness
Sleep impacts how we relate to and work with others. This includes communication, teamwork, empathy, impulse control, and emotional intelligence. These abilities are crucial to effective teamwork and unit cohesion, which play a large role in mission success. Sleep deprived service members may find it harder to connect with others, resolve conflicts, or collaborate effectively. For leaders, the impact can be even more serious. Sleep-deprived leaders tend to struggle with decision-making, critical thinking, and memory, which can affect the entire unit. Interestingly, studies show that effective leadership can actually counteract some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation on team performance, making sleep a leadership issue too.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is more than just a health concern. It’s a readiness issue that affects every level of military performance, from the individual service member to the entire force. As research continues to unpack the full scope of how sleep shapes physical, cognitive, and social functioning, one thing is clear: sleep isn’t optional, it’s operational.
With this in mind, our team developed a series of targeted infographics designed to highlight how sleep is essential for operational readiness. These resources are tailored to meet the unique needs of different military audiences, including branches like Space Force, and leadership roles. Our goal is to equip service members with practical, actionable information to encourage them to prioritize sleep, and in turn, improve their performance and enhance combat readiness. The infographics can be accessed here: https://deploymentpsych.org/content/sleep-health-handouts
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Jaime Rodden, is a Research Coordinator for the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Linfield University, and Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from California State University, Fullerton.
References:
JCS, J. P. (2017). Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States, DOD,
Incorporating Change 1, July 12, 2017. GL-10.
https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/jp1_ch1.pdf?ver=2019-02-11-174350967
Office, G. A. (2024). Military readiness: Comprehensive approach needed to address
service member fatigue and manage related efforts.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-105917.pdf
Mysliwiec, V., Gill, J., Lee, H., Baxter, T., Pierce, R., Barr, T. L., Krakow, B., & Roth, B. J.
(2013). Sleep disorders in US military personnel: a high rate of comorbid insomnia and
obstructive sleep apnea. Chest, 144(2), 549-557.
Grandou, C., Wallace, L., Fullagar, H. H., Duffield, R., & Burley, S. (2019). The effects of
sleep loss on military physical performance. Sports Medicine, 49(8), 1159-1172.
Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine.
Science, 196(4286), 129-136.
LaGoy, A. D., Conkright, W. R., Proessl, F., Sinnott, A. M., Beckner, M. E., Jabloner, L.,
Eagle, S. R., Sekel, N. M., Roma, P. G., & Dretsch, M. N. (2023). Less daytime
sleepiness and slow wave activity during sleep predict better physical readiness in
military personnel. Sleep Health, 9(1), 93-99.
LoPresti, M. L., Anderson, J. A., Saboe, K. N., McGurk, D. L., Balkin, T. J., & Sipos, M. L.
(2016). The impact of insufficient sleep on combat mission performance. Military
Behavioral Health, 4(4), 356-363.
Killgore, W. D. (2010). Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Progress in brain
research, 185, 105-129.
Killgore, W. D., Kahn-Greene, E. T., Lipizzi, E. L., Newman, R. A., Kamimori, G. H., &
Balkin, T. J. (2008). Sleep deprivation reduces perceived emotional intelligence and
constructive thinking skills. Sleep medicine, 9(5), 517-526.
Olsen, O. K., Pallesen, S., Torsheim, T., & Espevik, R. (2016). The effect of sleep
deprivation on leadership behaviour in military officers: An experimental study. Journal of
sleep research, 25(6), 683-689.