Veterans Day: Honoring our Military

Have you thanked a veteran for serving our country lately? There’s no better time to do so than on Veterans Day. This national holiday is devoted to gratefulness to the men and women who served and are serving our nation. There are ceremonies and events throughout town celebrating the work and sacrifice our US Armed Forces women and men gave for us. On Veterans Day, we don’t just honor all military personnel who served during peacetime and war, we must also express gratitude to the families who gave their loved ones to serve to keep American’s safe.  

The support for our military heroes today is much better than it was after the Vietnam War. As you may know, Vietnam War veterans came home to a general lack of support after fighting in the war. Many men had been drafted and had no choice but to serve. According to the article “Veteran’s Return Home,” “Some veterans [who] struggled with physical and psychological injuries often felt isolated from family and friends.” We, as a nation, have come so far. It’s with pride that we support our military women and men—past, present, and future—whom we appreciate. Not just on this day, but on every day of the year as we experience our freedoms.  

PTSD and Lack of Sleep 

Many veterans come home with fallout from their selfless service. According to an article from the Mayo Clinic titled “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms and Causes,” “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event—either being part of it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” There are many walks, runs, and events designed to raise awareness for the large number of military men and women per day who lose their lives as a result of unresolved trauma upon returning home from service. This blog post, “PTSD and Veterans,” breaks down the statistics, and evidence shows that 12.9% of military veterans have a PTSD diagnosis, while there is an approximate 6.8% occurrence of PTSD in the general population.  

According to “Sleep Problems and PTSD,” while lack of sleep due to nightmares and insomnia is an unfortunate symptom in the long list, the good news is sleep therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or talk therapy, can help reduce the effects of PTSD. Another helpful trick to enabling better, longer sleep at night is to initiate a sleep hygiene routine, which is creating sleep habits to train the brain to get ready to sleep, then to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are some helpful suggestions to do just that:  

Or take a look at this blog post from Beautyrest Sleep Gallery, “Memorial Day and Military Sleep Strategies,” for more ideas on how to overcome the sleepless struggle.  

Ideas to Honor Your Favorite Veteran 

There are many ideas, as seen in the blog post “Veterans Day Celebration Ideas to Honor Heroes at Work,” to show support for men and women you work with. Whether you are at work or in everyday life, do something meaningful this year to honor the brave, disciplined, skilled, and courageous military people. Here’s a list of ideas (from the blog mentioned above): 

Sleep Well This Veterans Day, Wake Up, and Be Happy 

If your favorite veteran has tried everything, but sleep is still elusive, it might be time to consider a new mattress. The sleep experts at Beautyrest Sleep Gallery are ready to help you find the best mattress that is perfect for a strong, courageous veteran. Embrace the Veterans Day sales this year to a get an amazing mattress at an affordable price. Start here to view our mattresses. We have a wide selection to meet your needs. Good sleep is just a perk of our mattresses. Above all, we want you to relax, sleep well, wake up and be happy with Beautyrest Sleep Gallery.  

Resources: 

“Memorial Day and Military Sleep Strategies.” Beautyrest Sleep Gallery, https://sleepgallery.biz/blog/memorial-day-and-military-sleep-strategies. Accessed 10/29/25. 

“Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms and Causes.: Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967. Accessed 10/29/25.