From trenches to technology: a narrative review of sleep medicine in the military

Diagnoses of military-relevant sleep disorders have increased substantially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The cause of this increase appears to be complicated and multifactorial, with military and civilian populations clearly differing with respect to both the nature and distribution of sleep disorders diagnoses. In part, these differences may be attributable to the fact that a majority of service members are chronically sleep-restricted—an unavoidable consequence of continuous and sustained military operations that “set the stage” for development of specific sleep disorders. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe the military relevance of several common sleep disorders, assess the extent to which these disorders currently constitute a burden on the military health care system, and suggest strategies to alleviate that burden. The military health care system does not have enough sleep medicine providers to address the immediate and long-term consequences of sleep disorders in military personnel. Digital technologies and education packages can be leveraged to improve access to care.