Self‐reported sleep and sleep deficiency: Results from a large initiative of sailors attached to U.S. Navy warships

Chronic insufficient sleep is known to lead to a broad range of negative consequences (e.g. poor health and cognitive performance). While insufficient sleep and associated fatigue are present in many diverse populations, it is of special concern in high‐risk military environments, where a mishap can result in catastrophic outcomes. Although many studies have been conducted to characterise sleep in general military populations, relatively few have been conducted using a large representative sample of sailors assigned to United States Naval warships. The present cross‐sectional study characterises self‐reported sleep parameters in sailors (N = 11,738) and explores the role of possible contributors to insufficient sleep. The results indicate that sailors, across a variety of different subgroups, do not obtain the amount of sleep that they report requiring for feeling well‐rested. Of the many potential factors thwarting sleep, workload and an uncomfortable mattress are the most promising candidates to target for improvement.