Overview

Adequate sleep is critical to mission success. In training and on the battlefield, inadequate sleep impairs many mission-critical aspects of performance such as reaction time, the ability to detect and engage the enemy, and squad tactic coordination – to name but a few. When asked about the connections between sleep and mission readiness, Soldiers and military leaders consistently recognize that sleep loss leads to accidents, poor morale, and impaired judgment. However, despite this, there remains a subculture within the force that considers sleep loss to be a “badge of honor” and "the Army way." They are wrong. In fact, the negative effects of sleep loss on brain function and health, and on military readiness and resilience, are profound and no one is immune.