The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has unveiled a new initiative, the Reengineering Enabling Sleep Transitions in Operationally Restrictive Environments, or “RESTORE” program, to revolutionize how military personnel handle extreme sleep deprivation in combat.
If successful, RESTORE could fundamentally alter how soldiers maintain cognitive performance when severely sleep-deprived, an issue that has long plagued military readiness and effectiveness.
“Service members’ responsibilities frequently result in less than 3 hours of sleep during combat and less than 6 hours during regular duty,” a Future Program Announcement recently issued by DARPA reads. “RESTORE will test the potential for recent advancements in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies and understanding of the importance of sleep micro-architectures to increase sleep efficiency for maintenance of cognitive performance under sleep-restricted conditions commonly faced by warfighters.”
For decades, military researchers have sought ways to mitigate the cognitive deficits that come with extreme sleep deprivation. Traditional approaches have focused on strategic napping, sleep training, or, more often, the use of stimulant drugs.
During World War II, German soldiers were given a drug called Pervitin, a methamphetamine equivalent to today’s crystal meth. The widespread use of Pervitin by the Wehrmacht has been linked to the rapid and relentless pace of Germany’s Blitzkrieg tactics.
With German soldiers staying awake for days on end, the drug enabled units to push forward without the need for rest and overwhelm defending forces with continuous assaults.
This chemically induced stamina gave the Wehrmacht a tactical edge in the early years of the war, particularly during the invasions of Poland and France.
Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. military also supplied soldiers with amphetamines to enhance alertness in combat environments, where troops often operated on less than three hours of sleep per night. While the Pentagon phased out amphetamine use in the early 2000s, the U.S. Air Force continues to provide pilots on extended missions with Modafinil, a synthetic drug used to treat narcolepsy and promote wakefulness.
DARPA’s RESTORE program is taking a radically different approach to combating sleep deprivation. Instead of simply trying to extend sleep duration through drugs, RESTORE is looking to manipulate the body’s sleep processes at a microscopic level.
According to program documents, RESTORE will explore advancements in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies—techniques that alter brain activity using external stimulation—to increase sleep efficiency and enhance cognitive recovery even in ultra-short sleep windows.
The program aims to demonstrate precision control of both sleep macro- and micro-architectures to maintain cognitive performance. Sleep macro-architecture refers to broad sleep patterns, including the progression of sleep stages (light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep), while micro-architecture delves into the fine-grained characteristics of neural activity within those stages.
In the civilian world, treatments for sleep disorders focus on helping individuals achieve an uninterrupted seven-to-eight-hour sleep cycle. However, military personnel often cannot afford this luxury. The RESTORE initiative will instead develop methods to maximize the benefits of whatever sleep warfighters can realistically obtain—often as little as three hours—by optimizing the neural mechanisms responsible for mental restoration.
One of RESTORE’s most promising aspects is its emphasis on non-invasive neuromodulation. This includes techniques such as transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which use electrical or magnetic fields to influence brain activity. Recent studies suggest that such technologies can enhance deep sleep, a stage critical for memory consolidation and cognitive function.
By leveraging these techniques, RESTORE aims to fine-tune the brain’s ability to enter and maintain restorative sleep states more efficiently. The overarching objective is to shorten sleep onset time and ensure that limited sleep periods yield maximum cognitive benefits, ultimately improving decision-making, reaction time, and problem-solving under sleep-deprived conditions.
Studies have shown that cognitive impairment from lack of sleep can be equivalent to being legally intoxicated. The consequences can be severe, including reduced situational awareness, slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and a heightened risk of critical or even fatal mistakes.
Sleep deprivation is an unavoidable reality for soldiers in active combat zones. However, recent reports indicate that the majority of American military personnel also struggle to get sufficient sleep during routine peacetime operations.
A 2024 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 93% of U.S. military service members slept seven hours or less per night and reported feeling sleep-deprived.
“Lack of sleep among active duty service members has led to fatal accidents and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to ships, vehicles, and aircraft,” the GAO said. “Many service members reported slower reflexes and responses, lower cognitive function, and concerns about near-collisions or making a deadly mistake because of fatigue.”
Last year, DARPA launched the Alert WARfighter Enablement (AWARE) program, an initiative exploring using near-infrared light combined with prescription stimulants like dextroamphetamine to enhance alertness in sleep-deprived warfighters. However, this approach still carries the inherent drawbacks of stimulant use, including the risk of dependency, diminishing effectiveness over time, and potential side effects such as anxiety and cardiovascular strain.
Conversely, RESTORE’s approach could provide a safer, more sustainable alternative to allowing warfighters to remain sharp without reliance on pharmaceuticals.
While RESTORE is still in its early stages, its implications could extend beyond military applications. If successful, the program could pave the way for breakthroughs in sleep science that benefit civilians, particularly those in high-performance fields such as emergency response, aviation, and healthcare. Individuals working in these sectors often face similar challenges, requiring sustained cognitive function despite unpredictable and restrictive sleep schedules.
Additionally, as neuromodulation technologies continue to evolve, RESTORE could contribute to a broader understanding of sleep’s role in neurological health, potentially influencing treatments for sleep disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cognitive decline.
Ultimately, DARPA’s RESTORE program is a bold step forward in military neuroscience. It aims to re-engineer sleep to support warfighter readiness. By harnessing cutting-edge neuromodulation techniques, the initiative seeks to optimize sleep efficiency and maintain cognitive performance in extreme conditions.
If successful, RESTORE could transform military operations and revolutionize how we understand and enhance human sleep in high-pressure environments worldwide.
Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan. Tim can be reached by email: tim@thedebrief.org or through encrypted email: LtTimMcMillan@protonmail.com