Lack of sleep can negatively impact your health and performance in real and serious ways. The following resources provide basic sleep facts, problems, tips for improving sleep habits, and more.
Just the facts: Sleep basics [PDF]
This sleep handout from the Defense Health Agency includes basic sleep facts, stages, problems, and thoughts, plus descriptions of harmful and helpful sleep habits. (Note: This PDF downloads automatically; it can’t be viewed online.)
How to develop healthy sleep habits
Real Warriors offer tips on how to develop good sleep habits—when you’re deployed, in training, or at home. The web page includes contact information to talk with a trained consultant at the Psychological Health Resource Center.
Healthy sleep
Harvard University Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine offers information on the science of sleep and how to get more restful sleep.
How thinking affects sleep [PDF]
This Defense Health Agency handout describes how thinking can affect your sleep. It highlights the impact of negative thoughts, which can cause insomnia, and how to change them to get the sleep you need. (Note: This PDF downloads automatically; it can’t be viewed online.)
Insomnia tools
The Center for Deployment Psychology offers information on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other tools to help people with insomnia.
Sleep in the military [PDF]
This Rand Corporation report reviews sleep policies, programs, and evidence-based therapies to treat sleep problems, and offers recommendations to promote healthy sleep.
Chill drills - Getting to sleep
Military OneSource offers these audio and video exercises to help you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep so that you become mentally stronger and more alert.
See also HPRC’s “Where do you serve?” section for your branch of service for additional policy and other branch-specific information. See our home page for links to each service branch.