A trainee attempts to get a little sleep as he waits for transportation at the Joe E. Mann Ballroom Dec. 18. He is one of thousands of Initial Entry Training Soldiers across the Army who are headed home on leave for the holidays. (Robert Timmons)
2/9/2022By:Claudia Sanchez Bustamante
Recommended Content:
Getting enough sleep is always essential for optimal performance and functioning.
But service members know that a full night's sleep is not always an option. On deployment, many things make sleep a challenge, including combat operations, long work days or 24-hour watch duty.
Service members on deployment may be anxious, concerned about their own safety or missing home. And they may face uncomfortable sleeping surfaces and unusual sleep-wake cycles.
"Sleep is an inherently vulnerable state, and in operational environments there are many factors that can make it difficult to initiate or maintain sleep," said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Scott Williams, director of the Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience (CMPN) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Prior traumatic events or mild traumatic brain injury can also lead to additional sleeping problems.
As a result, getting proper sleep is a luxury that many service members may not always have.
"On average, military personnel sleep approximately six hours" a day, said Dr. Tom Balkin, a senior scientist at the CMPN's Behavioral Biology Branch.
An average of six hours of sleep isn't enough – at least seven hours is recommended, Williams said.
Running short on sleep could lead to poor health or poor performance. Sleep disorders can be "significant threats to readiness and lethality," according to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's Behavioral Biology site.
Prioritizing sleep during deployments is key to better performance, and, in the long run, a healthier military experience.
Tactical Naps
When long blocks of sleep are impractical, "the practice of tactical napping" can help reach the recommended seven hours of sleep per 24 hours, said Dr. Sara Alger, a sleep research scientist at the Behavioral Biology Branch's Sleep Research Center.
"A tactical nap is ideally in a space that is dark, quiet, and comfortable, but realistically anywhere that is safe."
These naps can also be used to get extra sleep before upcoming sleep loss, to increase alertness during major operations, and to help recover more quickly after sleep loss, said Alger.
And though napping may lead to initial grogginess when you wake up, she said, using the combination of naps and caffeine strategically can reduce that.
If you're having trouble sleeping or want to learn more, check out these resources, contact your health care provider, or fill out this sleep health assessment.
You also may be interested in...
Page 1 of 23, showing items 1 - 15
Article
Jan 8, 2024Military Mental Health and Building Resilience in 2023
Mental health access and stigma reduction were a major theme for 2023 in the Military Health System: The Year in Review.
Fact Sheet
Dec 14, 2023PTSD and Other Stress-Related Disorders Following Concussion/Mild TBI Fact Sheet
.PDF | 542.68 KB
Co-occurring concussion and stress-related disorders, including PTSD, are common among service members. This fact sheet defines concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury, and provides an overview of common stress-related disorders, the overlapping symptoms, and how to manage those symptoms.
Topic
Dec 8, 2023Military Health System Mental Health Hub
The Military Health System has many resources available to help service members, families, or veterans who are struggling with mental health challenges.
Article Around MHS
Dec 5, 2023Targeted Behavioral Health Care a Success at Fort Johnson
The Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital Behavioral Health Department, along with 10 other Defense Health Agency military medical treatment facilities, wrapped up a six-month Defense Health Agency Targeted Care Pilot program on Oct. 31.
Article
Dec 4, 2023Department of Defense Works to Dispel Stigma of Seeking Mental Health Care
A new Department of Defense policy recognizes the private nature of mental health care and is part of a larger DOD effort to reduce the stigma that is often associated with seeking help for mental health.
Topic
Dec 1, 2023Psychological Fitness
Psychological Fitness is your ability to integrate and improve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral practices.
Topic
Dec 1, 2023Sleep
Mental Health related sleep content migrated from the former After Deployment web site.
Article
Nov 29, 2023DHA's E-Caregiver Directory Puts Resources at Your Fingertips
Caregivers now have needed resources at their fingertips on their mobile phones, tablets, and computers.
DHA Publication
Nov 28, 2023DHA Policy Memo: #23-014, Military Medical Treatment Facility Management of Self-Initiated Referral Process for Mental Health Evaluations of Service Members
.PDF | 176.30 KB
Provides information and guidance on military medical treatment facility procedures for a process that enables Service members to trigger a referral on their own for a mental health evaluation through a commanding officer or supervisor in a grade above E-5.
- Identification #: 23-014
- Type: DHA Policy Memo
Article
Nov 22, 2023Ask the Doc: Mental Health Tips for You or a Loved One
In this edition of Ask the Doc, we get expert advice from retired U.S. Public Health Service Capt. (Dr.) Joshua Morganstein, deputy director at the Center for Study of Traumatic Stress in the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and vice chair of the University’s department of psychiatry, on ways to address mental health concerns when you, ...
Article Around MHS
Nov 20, 2023Empowering Service Members Advancing Mental Health Access and Targeted Care
Taking the initiative to seek help for emotional difficulties is a courageous and responsible step for a service member. Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center’s Mental Health Clinic is dedicated to ensuring that all service members receive effective care in a timely manner.
Article Around MHS
Nov 17, 2023Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Shares Mental Health Journey with Premier Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command
A retired U.S. Army major general shared his mental health story with soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the military’s premier chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives command.
Article
Nov 10, 2023988 Crisis Line: 1 Million Veterans, Service Members Called in a Year
More than a million veterans, service members, and families have received help from the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline in its first year of existence.
Article
Nov 8, 2023Defense Health Agency Leaders Discuss Suicide Prevention, Future of Military Medicine
The Department of Defense is committed to preventing suicide within our military by creating a supportive environment, improving delivery of mental health services, and reducing the stigma associated with asking for support.
Article
Nov 2, 2023Defense Health Agency Works to Prevent Health Worker Burnout, Build Supportive Community
The Defense Health Agency hosted a virtual panel, “Taking Care of Each Other: Building a Stronger DHA Community,” to address employee health and wellness and the importance of community across the DHA on Sept. 28, 2023.
Page 1 of 23, showing items 1 - 15
