Evidence-Based Sleep Science for Military Service Members and Veterans
Service and Sleep exists to give military service members, veterans, and their families the sleep science they were never given, translating circadian research, clinical evidence, and VA policy into clear, actionable guidance so those who served can finally get the rest they’ve earned.
About Service and Sleep
Service and Sleep is an evidence-based resource built at the intersection of chronobiology and military life. We take peer-reviewed sleep science, the kind buried in journals most people will never read, and make it accessible to the people who need it most: active duty service members, veterans, and the clinicians who treat them.
Military service fundamentally disrupts sleep. Irregular watch schedules, deployment across time zones, combat hypervigilance, and years of chronic sleep debt don’t just cause fatigue. They reshape circadian biology in ways that persist long after separation. Yet most service members and veterans never receive a clear explanation of why their sleep is broken or what the evidence actually says about fixing it.
That’s the gap we fill.
Who We Serve
Active Duty
If you’re dealing with sleep disruption from shift work, watch rotations, deployment schedules, or operational tempo, we explain the circadian science behind what’s happening to your body and what evidence-based strategies exist to manage it.
Veterans
Whether you’re struggling with chronic insomnia, nightmares, sleep apnea, or the long-term effects of circadian disruption from your service, we provide the research and the practical guidance to help you understand your condition and navigate the VA system.
Clinicians
For providers treating military-connected patients, we offer a consolidated evidence base covering sleep disorders common in this population, current prescribing considerations like prazosin for nightmares, and the operational contexts that shape the sleep problems your patients present with.
What We Do: Military Sleep Research Made Accessible
We research, write, and publish in-depth reference articles covering conditions like combat insomnia, nightmare disorder, sleep apnea in veterans, and circadian misalignment, each one grounded in the clinical literature and written for a non-clinical audience. We also cover the operational contexts that cause these problems in the first place: military shift work and sleep disruption, submarine service, deployment light exposure and time zone changes, and the unique demands placed on reserve and special operations forces.
Beyond the science, we walk veterans through the practical side. VA disability ratings for sleep disorders, C&P exam preparation, discharge processing, and how military doctrine has, and hasn’t, kept pace with what researchers now understand about sleep.
Clinical ResearchPeer-reviewed sleep science translated for service members and veterans
Military ContextOperational factors that disrupt circadian biology during service
VA NavigationDisability ratings, C&P exams, and practical guidance for veterans
Why Veteran Sleep Health Matters
Sleep touches everything. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) recovery, PTSD treatment response, metabolic health, cognitive performance, pain management. The research is clear that sleep is foundational to all of it. Yet it remains one of the most under-addressed aspects of military health care. We believe that changes when people understand the science behind their own biology. Service and Sleep is built for the people, not just the professionals. If your body runs on a clock and your service broke it, we’re here to explain what happened and what you can do about it.
Traumatic Brain Injury
PTSD Treatment
Metabolic Health
Cognitive Performance
What We Are Not
We are not a medical provider. We don’t diagnose, prescribe, or replace the relationship between a veteran and their clinician. What we do is arm people with the same evidence their providers are reading, so they can walk into appointments informed, ask better questions, and advocate for themselves with confidence.
You Are Not Alone
Sleep disorders, PTSD, and the invisible wounds of service can feel isolating. If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, help is available right now. The Veterans Crisis Line provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to veterans, service members, and their families.
If you are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, call the Veterans Crisis Line at
