Sleep Health Is Not Optional, It's Operational: Introducing the Biopsychosocial Model of Sleep Deprivation on...

Warfighter readiness encompasses personnel, training, equipment and supplies, and maintenance and necessitates service members operate physically and mentally at the highest levels. Total force fitness focuses on eight key domains to support service members' fitness and well-being, with a strong focus on physical, psychological, and social functioning, commonly referred to as biopsychosocial factors, to ensure optimal readiness. Due to its role in biopsychosocial functioning, adequate sleep is paramount for mission success. Yet, many service members are chronically sleep deprived for a myriad of reasons such as irregular shift schedules, operational demands, and high- stress environments. When sleep deprived, warfighter readiness is impaired. A comprehensive review of the growing body of literature on the biopsychosocial factors impacted by sleep deprivation is provided. Sleep deprivation can greatly impede physical, or biological, readiness through reduced muscular performance, increased risk of obesity, and impacted anaerobic and aerobic capacity. Similarly, psychological readiness necessitates attention, reaction time, memory, and emotional functioning, which are significantly related to sleep. Finally, social factors such as leadership abilities, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and teamwork are worsened by sleep deprivation and negatively impact the likelihood of mission success. A biopsychosocial model of sleep deprivation on warfighter readiness was developed to visually represent the relationship between sleep and the biopsychosocial domains, providing an accessible tool for service members. Increased discussions on the effects of sleep deprivation on biopsychosocial factors associated with warfighter readiness may offer avenues for increasing buy-in from service members to improve their sleep health, or patients to engage in treatment, thereby increasing warfighter readiness. Infographics, informed by the review of the literature and the biopsychosocial model, are provided to offer actionable tools for leadership and healthcare providers to effectively communicate the importance of prioritizing sleep within the force.