(This article by Lt. Col. Nick Barringer, USA (Ret), originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members who can log in to access our digital version and archive. Basic members can save on a membership upgrade and access the magazine.)

Whether planning battlefield operations or managing executive decisions, one crucial performance enabler is often neglected: sleep.

For military officers accustomed to long duty cycles, sleep is frequently sacrificed. But the science is precise: Chronic sleep deprivation undermines cognitive, metabolic, and cardiovascular resilience.

Sleep deprivation degrades nearly every primary physiological domain. Research has demonstrated that chronic short sleep is strongly associated with increased risks of hypertension, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, coronary disease, depression, and impaired immune function.

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Even acute total sleep deprivation can provoke neurocognitive slowing, fatigue, and mood disturbances, mediated in part by dysregulation of dopamine and cortisol systems (the former acts as a sort of reward center for the body, while the latter helps regulate your response to stress).

On the cognitive side, a controlled study showed insufficient — as opposed to adequate — sleep impairs attention, working memory, and executive function in healthy adults.

In short, you might feel like you’re coping, but your brain architecture is being worn down.

“Sleep deprivation degrades the body and mind. It diminishes the ability to recover physically and reduces the ability to think clearly. It impacts the release of hormones, clearance of wastes from the brain and body, and compromises the immune system,” Dr. Allison Brager, a neuroscientist, sleep expert, and professor at the U.S. Military Academy, told Military Officer. “Nothing good has ever come from sleep deprivation.”

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Stress, Age, Diet, Alcohol

Individually, these four factors impact your sleep in unique ways, Brager said.

“General stress impacts the ability to fall asleep, costing precious time lost for restorative sleep,” she noted.

Indeed, chronic psychosocial stress (especially in military populations) drives elevated cortisol, which disturbs sleep architecture by suppressing the deep and REM sleep phases. Sleep disturbances are known to exacerbate PTSD, and vice versa.

“Diet can have a similar impact,” Brager said, adding that alcohol can also prevent someone from entering the most restorative stages of sleep.

For example, sleep restriction alters hormonal regulation, reducing insulin sensitivity and increasing appetite, contributing to metabolic dysfunction.

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And just short-term sleep restriction suppresses healthy postprandial lipid responses and decreases satiety signaling.

Inadequate sleep itself is correlated with poorer dietary choices, such as skipping breakfast, and higher body mass index trajectories in adolescents
and adults.

For those using alcohol as a sedative, the trade-off is substantial. Alcohol consumption near bedtime reduces REM sleep, fragments rest, and increases breathing-related events. A meta-analysis estimated that alcohol consumption raises the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by about 25%.

Among veterans, studies report that using alcohol as a sleep aid is linked to worsening sleep complaints, insomnia, and fragmented sleep architecture.

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Age also plays a factor, Brager said, “but not really until menopause for women (or around the same age for men). But as we age, the body and brain become more sensitive to the effects of poor diet and alcohol, so they ultimately impact sleep.”

As we age, production of melatonin wanes and circadian rhythms often shift, increasing sleep fragmentation and reducing deep sleep. Older adults thus face higher susceptibility to insomnia and wake-after-sleep onset.

Some extensive observational data suggest that older age magnifies vulnerability to external stressors (e.g., ambient temperature), which worsens sleep retention.

Sleep Studies

Those who endure symptoms such as persistent daytime fatigue, loud snoring, observed apneas or gasps during sleep, morning headaches, or unexplained hypertension or arrhythmias warrant evaluation.

OSA is underdiagnosed, yet highly prevalent among veterans. One study of veterans found that up to 22% may have a breathing disorder during sleep. In veteran populations with PTSD, polysomnographic studies show a higher burden of insomnia comorbidity, underscoring the need for tailored screening.

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Additionally, comorbid insomnia symptoms may reduce long-term CPAP adherence in OSA patients.

Given the links between untreated OSA and stroke, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, metabolic dysregulation, and neurocognitive decline, a formal sleep study should be considered part of preventive care.

Lt. Col. Nick Barringer, USA (Ret), is the chief academic officer and dean of graduate studies at Lionel University.