II. Risks from Not Getting Enough Sleep

A woman sleeping in bed, head on a pillow

Sleep is a biological need for life and health, similar to the need for food. Sleep affects your mental and physical performance as well as long-term health.
Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of good-quality sleep every 24 hours to perform during emergency operations.
When you lose sleep, you build up sleep debt that will seriously impair your performance. The only way to pay off this debt is to get enough sleep. Willpower alone will not keep you safe from the mounting effects of sleep debt.
As someone who is deployed, you should view sleep as a critical logistical item, just like water, food, and the supplies needed to carry out operations.