Background. Many individuals who work in the military experience sleep deficiency which presents a significant problem given the nature of their work. The cause of their sleep problems is likely multifactorial, stemming from the interplay between their personal health, habits and lifestyle juxtaposed with the stress of their military work such as emotional and physical trauma experienced in service. Objective. To present an overview of sleep deficiency in military members (MMs) and review of nonpharmacological treatment options. Discussion. Although there are a number of promising nonpharmacological treatment options available for people working in the military who experience problems sleeping, testing interventions within the context of the military are still in the early stages. Further research utilizing rigorous design and standardized, context appropriate outcome measures is needed to help treat this burgeoning problem. 1. Introduction The objective of this report is to present an overview of the significance of sleep deficiency (SD) in military members (MMs) and highlight the current state of the evidence for non-pharmacological, evidence-based sleep interventions (NPSIs) [1]. 2. Background Sleep deficiency is a growing problem for people of all ages and significantly impacts many aspects of an individual’s life. It is now emerging that persons in the military experience even greater challenges with sleep deficiency than most members of the general public [2–4]. Sleep deficiency is defined by the National Centre on Sleep Disorders Research [5] as, “…too little sleep, poor quality sleep or sleep problems including diagnosed sleep disorders.” Restorative sleep is needed for optimal brain function and overall health. Individuals with sleep deficiency have an increased risk of age-related illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and memory loss [6]. Emerging studies have also identified that SD is not simply a symptom of an existing illness but also acts as a risk factor, increasing the likelihood of developing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension [7], impaired judgment and depression [8], and chronic pain [9]. 2.1. Prevalence of Sleep Deficiency for Military Members Sleep deficiency is common during and after deployment for MM [10, 11]. Research reports that over 75% of deployed military members rated their sleep quality as significantly worse than their sleep prior to deployment [4]. The literature suggests that the most common sleep disorders found in a MM are sleep breathing disorders and movement disorders [11, 12]. As well,
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