Sleep disorders in combat-related PTSD.

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Sleep Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly impacts soldiers' well-being.
• Sleep disturbances are frequently reported by individuals with PTSD.
• Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of sleep disorders in this population is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of sleep complaints and diagnosed sleep disorders in active duty soldiers with deployment-related PTSD.
• To identify clinical features that differentiate soldiers with PTSD who also have sleep disorders.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review was conducted on soldiers diagnosed with PTSD.
• Subjective sleep measures and objective polysomnographic data were collected.
• Clinical and demographic variables, including medication use, comorbidities, and physical injuries, were compared between soldiers with and without sleep disorders.

Main Results:

• The study included 130 soldiers (91.5% male, mean age 35.1 years).
• Comorbid depression (88.5%) and psychoactive medication use (96.2%) were highly prevalent.
• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) was diagnosed in 67.3% of soldiers, with a higher prevalence in those without combat-related physical injuries (72.9% vs. 38.0%).

Conclusions:

• Sleep complaints are common in soldiers with PTSD.
• Higher rates of OSAS were observed in soldiers without physical injuries, suggesting a potential role of sleep-disordered breathing in PTSD development.
• Further research is needed to validate the association between OSAS and PTSD.