Sleep Disturbances Common Following Return from Combat

 

An article by Seth Robson of Stars and Stripes reports on a new military medicine study that found frequently reported sleep difficulties – particularly insomnia –- among returning combat veterans in at least the first several months they’re home.

“Soldiers in a combat environment have increased stress and have to be hyper-vigilant, both of which, along with the inherent noise and environmental disturbances result in poor sleep quality and frequent awakenings while deployed,” said Army Capt. Vincent Capaldi, the study’s lead author and a resident physician in psychiatry and internal medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in an interview with Stars and Stripes last month.

The latest sleep study shows the importance of regular, good sleep practices in soldiers upon redeployment and providing evaluations for those whose sleep difficulties persist, whether they have PTSD, TBI or solely sleep complaints, he said.

“A key takeaway (from the study) is that routine screening for sleep problems may be beneficial for all combat veterans, since many who suffer from sleep disturbance post-deployment are otherwise healthy,” Capaldi said.

The study did not find a connection between PTSD and TBI and obstructive sleep apnea, a diagnosed condition reported by some combat veterans.

The article did not discuss other common sleep disorders among combat veterans such as narcolepsy. 

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http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/study-sleep-disorders-normal-for-post-combat-troops-1.146335