The role of sleep in the health and resiliency of military personnel

Regular restorative sleep is an essential component in the maintenance of health and resiliency in military personnel. Profound negative consequences can result from sleep disruption and deprivation. Military service members face unique challenges to restful sleep, especially during deployment. The consequences of sleep deprivation on the functioning of the individual and, in turn, on his or her military unit can be catastrophic. Following deployment, continued sleep disturbance can complicate reintegration back into family, social, and work activities. How military service members and their families become resilient and positively adapt to or recover from the stressors of repeated and dangerous deployments is of great importance to military leaders seeking to optimize the health of the military forces. The role of sleep in psychological resiliency has not been widely considered; however, research suggests that sleep may play an essential role in developing and supporting resiliency. A model for psychological resilience patterned after Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is proposed. Gaps in our understanding of the role of sleep in the health and resiliency of military personnel are discussed.