Motivation is the cornerstone of successful health behavior change. It's common to face roadblocks when you want to adopt a new lifestyle or habit. Some people give up, even when they really want to change. When you think you might want to stop trying, finding ways to boost your motivation can help you stay on track.
One health behavior Service Members often find challenging is prioritizing sleep. Consider these tips to boost your motivation and help you stay committed to improving your sleep habits.
One health behavior Service Members often find challenging is prioritizing sleep. Consider these tips to boost your motivation and help you stay committed to improving your sleep habits.
Stay on top of the latest research
The belief that you can train for sleep deprivation is common in the military. But research studies over the last 20 years have disproven this idea. Today, we know sleep is irreplaceable—and essential to military health, wellness, and performance. Getting enough sleep is a key component that supports performance in most areas of Total Force Fitness (TFF), a holistic framework that includes physical, mental, social, nutritional, spiritual, medical, financial, and environmental fitness.
You don't need to spend hours doing your own research and trying to separate myths from facts to learn more about the importance of sleep. Visit the Sleep and TFF Leader Guide and the Sleep & Stress section of the HPRC website to explore articles that translate evidence-based information into actionable tips to help you make sleep a priority.
Learn from others
As a health educator, I get to interact with many Service Members who’ve experienced turning points that motivated them to prioritize sleep. Many of them are advanced in their military careers and can offer valuable insights to junior Service Members about the consequences of sleep deprivation.
For example, at a training I led, when I asked senior leaders to name factors that made them realize their need to improve their sleep, utter exhaustion after many years of sleep deprivation was the factor they cited most. Other factors that help Service Members prioritize sleep include noticing when sleep deprivation hurts their performance, getting sick, and even attending a presentation on the benefits of sleep.
Whether you notice a fellow Service Member having trouble prioritizing sleep, or the person having trouble is you, talking about the importance of sleep and listening to those willing to share their experiences can be a great motivation booster.
Assess the impact of sleep deprivation in your life
You can also boost your motivation to prioritize getting better sleep by taking time to learn how lack of sleep affects your performance. The HPRC Sleep & TFF Self-reflection tool can help you recognize any “poor sleep traps” you might have fallen into. Just read through the list of ways sleep deprivation can hurt your performance and choose the ones that seem true for you.Some consequences of sleep deprivation commonly reported by Service Members include:
• Decreased coordination, speed, reaction time, and endurance• Trouble focusing, thinking critically, and making decisions• Increased aggressive behavior• Greater hunger and cravings• Less self-control• Constant feeling of being “off”• Reduced ability to make wise financial decisions
The tool also helps you figure out which consequences of sleep deprivation bother you the most. These are the thoughts you want to hang on to when you need to boost your motivation to make sleep a priority.
For example, I have a low tolerance for sleep loss, and just 3 nights of not getting enough sleep can leave me feeling miserable in many areas of TFF. But the impact of sleep deprivation on my social fitness speaks loudest to me. When I'm sleep-deprived, I get really irritable and I have zero desire to take part in social activities. Sleep deprivation turns me into someone I don’t like. And because this is the consequence of sleep deprivation that bothers me most, it’s also what boosts my motivation most to choose sleep over working late or binge-watching my favorite TV shows.
Make a plan
Once you’ve set a goal to change your sleep habits, think ahead and identify possible roadblocks. Then, focus on the barriers you can control. As a Service Member, you probably don't have control over shift work, night operations, or mission demands. But if you know TV binge-watching, video gaming, or scrolling through social media is getting in the way of your sleep, make a plan to change that.
HPRC's Sleep Habit Self-Check also provides a list of habits that can help you sleep better. Once you download it, choose 1 or 2 habits you would like to include in your plan to prioritize sleep. Then, when you’re tempted to stray from your plan, remember the poor sleep traps that bother you the most to boost your motivation to keep working toward your goal.
Celebrate the impact of small changes
As you begin to sleep better, you’ll likely notice performance improvements fairly quickly. Go back to your Sleep & TFF Self-check and mark all the benefits you’ve experienced since making a few changes. Whenever you’re working to change a behavior, it's important to focus on the rewards your efforts bring to your life. This positive reinforcement helps keep you motivated to move forward with your plan to make sleep a higher priority.
When you invest in improving your sleep readiness, you can optimize your performance across all TFF domains. Making the necessary changes to prioritize sleep can be a challenge, but you can hack your motivation to succeed in this journey.
If you have questions or need extra help along the way, use HPRC’s Ask the Expert feature and one of our experts will be happy to assist you.
