Sleep Disorders Among Post-Combat Soldiers

Sleeping disorders reported by troops returning from the war zone may be a normal result of time in combat rather than a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, according to a study to be published this summer in the peer-reviewed journal Military Medicine.

“Sleep Disruption Among Returning Combat Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan,” presented during last month’s American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, examines the sleep patterns of 69 servicemembers who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan between 2006 and 2008.

According to an Army news release, 8 percent of soldiers in Afghanistan were taking mental health-related medications to treat sleep problems in 2008, while soldiers in Iraq averaged 5.6 hours of sleep per night, significantly less than the 6.4 hours individuals indicated they required to feel rested. Previous studies have shown that troops returning from war are likely to sleep poorly in the months after they come home.[ Read Complete Post By Seth Robson At Stars and Stripes ... ]

Tagged with: combat • Sleep • sleep apnea in soldiers • Sleep Disruption Among Returning Combat Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan • sleep poorly • Sleep Problems • Sleeping Disorders • Stress • symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder • traumatic brain injury • treat sleep problems

Filed under: Anxiety • Daytime Sleepiness • Fatigue • hypersomnia • Insomnia • Other Disorders • Sleep • Sleep Apnea • Sleep Apnea Effects • Sleep Apnea News • Sleep Apnea Research • Sleep Apnea Study • Sleep Deprivation • Sleep Disordered Breathing • Sleep Disorders • Sleep Problems • Stress

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