Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions for Insomnia in Veterans and Military Populations

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine and health
• Sleep medicine
• Military health

Background:

• Insomnia significantly impacts the quality of life for Veterans, including those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Sleep disturbances persist in many Veterans even after receiving evidence-based PTSD treatments.
• Current insomnia treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and pharmacotherapy have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review studies on Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) interventions for sleep disturbances in Veterans.
• To explore potential mechanisms of action for CIH in improving sleep.
• To discuss the acceptability of CIH approaches among the Veteran population.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on CIH interventions for insomnia in Veterans.
• Exploration of proposed neurobiological and physiological mechanisms.
• Discussion of qualitative and quantitative data regarding Veteran acceptance of CIH.

Main Results:

• CIH practices like mindfulness, mantram meditation, yoga, and tai chi show promise for treating insomnia in Veterans.
• Potential mechanisms include increased hippocampal volume and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels.
• Acceptability of CIH approaches among Veterans is a key factor for successful implementation.

Conclusions:

• CIH approaches represent viable alternatives for managing insomnia in Veterans, particularly those with PTSD.
• Further research into the efficacy and mechanisms of CIH is warranted.
• Understanding Veteran preferences is crucial for integrating CIH into standard care.