Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Physiological markers in females and males after multiple bouts of caloric deprivation during arduous military training.

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2026

Same author

Sex differences in physical performance, sleep, and psychological responses to long-term, arduous military training.

Physiological reports·2026

Same author

Inflammation and alterations in redox homeostasis precede and persist following musculoskeletal injury in US army trainees.

British journal of sports medicine·2026

Same author

Limited Sex Differences in Energy Balance and Body Composition during 61+D of US Army Ranger Training.

Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2026

Same author

Physical Activity Knowledge Among US Community Health Workers.

Journal of physical activity & health·2025

Same author

Intersectional pain disparities and resilience in veterans with chronic pain.

Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·2025

Same journal

Postmortem Evidence of CRH Neuron Reduction in Narcolepsy Without Cataplexy With Borderline Hypocretin-1 Levels.

Journal of sleep research·2026

Same journal

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Versus Mandibular Advancement Devices Impact on Cardio-Metabolic Outcomes in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Journal of sleep research·2026

Same journal

Strong and Weak Episodic Memories Are Shaped by Multiple Cycles of NREM Spindles and REM Alpha Bursts.

Journal of sleep research·2026

Same journal

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Biological Sex Differences in Sleep Spindles and Slow Wave Activity in Adults With and Without Insomnia.

Journal of sleep research·2026

Same journal

Thoracoabdominal Asynchrony in Healthy Children.

Journal of sleep research·2026

Same journal

Chronotype and Time of Day Effects in Oddball Task Performance: Behavioural and Cerebral Correlates.

Journal of sleep research·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 18, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

Sleep restriction and cognitive load affect performance on a simulated marksmanship task.

Carl D Smith¹, Adam D Cooper¹, Donna J Merullo²

¹United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA.

Journal of Sleep Research

|November 25, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sleep restriction impairs soldier marksmanship, especially under high cognitive load. Performance degraded, but soldiers perceived no change, highlighting the need for adequate sleep.

Keywords:

Army cognition decision-making perceived performance rifle sleep loss

More Related Videos

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Published on: August 8, 2019

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Published on: October 11, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 18, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Published on: August 8, 2019

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Published on: October 11, 2018

Area of Science:

Military Science
Cognitive Neuroscience
Human Performance

Background:

Sleep restriction negatively impacts cognitive and motor functions, affecting job performance and accident risk.
Military personnel frequently experience sleep restriction, potentially impairing marksmanship, though research findings are mixed.
Previous studies often combined sleep restriction with other stressors, limiting understanding of its isolated effects on marksmanship.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the specific effects of sleep restriction on marksmanship performance.
To examine how varying task difficulty (high vs. low cognitive load) influences marksmanship under sleep restriction.
To minimize confounding stressors, focusing solely on sleep deprivation's impact.

Main Methods:

Active duty Soldiers underwent 72 hours of severe sleep restriction (2 hours of sleep per 24 hours).
Marksmanship was assessed using a friend-foe discrimination task with high and low cognitive load conditions.
Cognitive assessments and the NASA-Task Load Index were administered daily to measure performance and perceived workload.

Main Results:

Reaction times for engaging targets and identifying friendly targets significantly slowed over the sleep restriction period.
Accuracy in discriminating friend from foe targets decreased significantly under high cognitive load, while overall shot accuracy remained stable.
Despite objective performance degradation, Soldiers' self-reported performance and perceived workload did not change significantly.

Conclusions:

Sleep restriction degrades critical marksmanship skills, particularly target discrimination under demanding cognitive conditions.
The disconnect between objective performance decline and subjective perception underscores the insidious nature of sleep deprivation on military readiness.
Ensuring adequate sleep for military personnel is crucial for maintaining operational effectiveness and safety.