How Sleep Research in Extreme Environments Can Inform the Military: Advocating for a Transactional Model of Sleep Adaptation

Abstract

Purpose of review: We review the literature on sleep in extreme environments. Accordingly, we present a model that identifies the need for mitigating interventions to preserve sleep quality for military deployments.

Recent findings: Situational factors that affect sleep in extreme environments include cold temperatures, isolated and confined areas, fluctuating seasonality, photoperiodicity, and extreme latitudes and altitudes. Results vary across studies, but general effects include decreased total sleep time, poor sleep efficiency, and non-specific phase delays or phase advances in sleep onset and sleep architecture. Considering habitability measures (e.g., light or temperature control) and individual differences such as variable stress responses or sleep need can mitigate these effects to improve mood, cognition, and operational performance. Although the situational demands during military missions inevitably reduce total sleep time and sleep efficiency, mitigating factors can attenuate sleep-related impairments, hence allowing for optimal mission success and personnel safety.

Keywords: Circadian rhythms; Isolated confined and extreme environments; Latitude; Military deployment; Sleep.