WRAIR’s Sleep Research Center leads the most comprehensive study of sleep restriction ever attempted

Story by Zeke Gonzalez

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Building on a storied legacy of pioneering sleep research, a collaboration among the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence—launched in April 2023—is undertaking the most comprehensive study of chronic sleep loss ever attempted.

The project, led by Dr. Samantha Riedy of WRAIR’s Sleep Research Center, leverages over a century of groundbreaking achievements—from early functional brain scans during sleep to the development of innovative monitoring techniques—to explore how consistently obtaining five or fewer hours of sleep (known as “chronic sleep restriction”) affects both brain function and overall health. With data collection set to conclude in March 2025, this study not only addresses a pressing modern public health challenge but also continues the Center’s tradition of scientific excellence and innovation in sleep research.

“One-third of people are chronically sleep restricted, but in the military that number jumps up to two-thirds” said Dr. Riedy on the importance of this study. “Sleep restriction like this has so many negative consequences on the brain and the body: lowers response time, impairs mental performance, lowers testosterone, and much more.”

This study is the culmination of a long line of military sleep research initiatives. After World War II, President Eisenhower, having witnessed the severe consequences of sleep loss on American soldiers, directed WRAIR to study sleep deprivation and develop strategies to mitigate its effects.

“Eisenhower realized that fatigue was a big issue for soldiers,” said former SRC Director, Dr. Tom Balkin. “When he returned from the theater, he directed WRAIR to conduct sleep research. Eisenhower wanted WRAIR to determine the negative effects of sleep deprivation on soldiers – and to mitigate those effects.”

Since its inception, WRAIR’s Sleep Research Center has significantly impacted the sleep research community. Beyond producing a wealth of basic and applied research, the Center has also developed numerous products, tools, and pharmaceutical strategies to help service members improve their performance during periods of sleep loss.

“The Sleep Research Center was the first to take functional scans of the human brain during sleep, we performed some of the first studies on Ambien in the early 80s, and we developed wrist actigraphy – a technology that was a precursor to the FitBit” explained Dr. Balkin. “The SRC has always been at the cutting edge of research on sleep and fatigue.”

Although much has been learned about the effects of sleep loss on the body, long-term studies remain challenging. The current collaboration with the NIH and NICoE not only measures the short-term effects of chronic sleep restriction but will also determine whether any negative impacts remain detectable one month later.

“This project has been such a large undertaking and a great collaborative effort, and we are proud it’s almost complete” elaborates Dr. Riedy. “We aim to better understand the changes that happen in the brain health and performance of our soldier when they lose sleep. As we understand those changes better, we can mitigate those effects in the future.”