Did you know that for some Service Members, Insomnia May Not Be Part Of PTSD?

2015-12-02T08:28:16-05:00

Did you know that for some Service Members, Insomnia May Not Be Part Of PTSD?

Lack of sleep is reported by more than half of the 2 million men and women who have served since Sept. 11.

What do you think RP Members?

http://taskandpurpose.com/for-some-service-members-insomnia-may-not-be-part-of-ptsd/

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Sleeplessness has historically been considered a secondary symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, but recent research shows that insomnia may be a disorder unto itself.

In 2014, an Army research team, led by Col. Vincent Mysliwiec, suggested the name “trauma-associated sleep disorder,” leading the service to propose it as a separate diagnosis from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He and the Army hope the name will add legitimacy to the diagnosis and lead to better treatment of insomnia among service members and veterans.

Before, it was assumed that treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder would eliminate insomnia. Rather, Mysliwiec suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder may serve as a misdiagnosis in many cases of trauma-associated sleep disorder.

For Some Service Members, Insomnia May Not Be Part Of PTSD

Insomnia in some service members may be part of trauma-associated sleep disorder instead of PTSD.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 2 at 2015 8:36 AM

2015-12-02T08:36:55-05:00

I believe this could be possible. I have what they call sleep apnea hope I spelled it correctly. I often live off of 4 hours of sleep because I just cant go to sleep at night.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Dec 2 at 2015 8:37 AM

2015-12-02T08:37:06-05:00

Yes. I just read the article.
However, I would have believed that to be true even before reading the article as insomnia in not isolated to the military.

Response by TSgt John Temblador, PI, CIPA made Dec 2 at 2015 8:45 AM

2015-12-02T08:45:13-05:00

Chronic Sleep Apnea is a killer and a real condition in which CPAP and other identifiable medical assessments can help!

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Dec 2 at 2015 9:19 AM

2015-12-02T09:19:41-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs anyone on Rally Point can attest to the fact that sleep is something that is in short supply in the Military. Part of the training starting in boot camp is to function while sleep deprived. It only makes sense that insomnia would be an effect of that training. I think that outright dismissing it as a symptom of PTSD is a bad idea. Just because it is a disease in its own right, does not mean that it cannot still be a symptom of the greater evil PTSD.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 9:23 AM

2015-12-02T09:23:54-05:00

I may "tip the canoe" on this one...I truly do "get" that there are serious medical conditions related to service, and fully back the principle of the Government helping those who have sacrificed their health in defense of the nation.

That said...I sometimes can't help but wonder if our society as a whole is "syndrome driven". I mean listen-it took me a while to "adjust" to not sleeping in a steel can that makes more noise than a circus. It took me a while after my last tour to "accept" not having at least a sidearm everywhere I went. Yes, I sometimes have dreams where things don't work out as well as they did in reality. I chain smoke, sometimes drink a little more than I should, and have times when I get fed up with the "civilian" mindset. I don't think that's "PTSD" any more than just the outcome of having spent the years of my life from 17 to 29 in an society where comfort was not an option...order was more important than opinion...and aggression was an underlying theme.

Again-Everyone has their own experience, and I'm not in a position to challenge anyone's personal sense of how "well" they are. I'm just starting to wonder if we're inadvertently developing a definition of "health" that is not only impossible...but more so for anyone who's put a little skin in the game so to speak.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 2 at 2015 9:42 AM

2015-12-02T09:42:59-05:00

Yes insomnia can be associated with many different conditions form too much caffeine, anxiety, and other conditions including PTSD COL Mikel J. Burroughs.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Dec 2 at 2015 9:48 AM

2015-12-02T09:48:10-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Very interesting and enlightening post,as always,thank you,Sir.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 9:50 AM

2015-12-02T09:50:09-05:00

Thank you for posting this.

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Dec 2 at 2015 10:10 AM

2015-12-02T10:10:49-05:00

Agreed. Pretty sure am an insomniac. Definitely sure PTS isn't the reason.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Dec 2 at 2015 10:41 AM

2015-12-02T10:41:25-05:00

Anyone that has been in one or more life threatening situation, in or out of the military has dreams about it. Even then, for my military career, I slept like a log at every opportunity. Most of us have been in situations that denied us proper sleep for days or more. All those bad dreams about my possible demise have long since gone away. However, I find as I age, I do NOT sleep very well and estimate on a good night, I get around five hours of intermittent sleep. No problem going to sleep, but do not stay asleep. Few, if any, dreams that are about my military career. As you age, insomnia is more prevalent, than when you are young. As with most of these type things, adjust and live with it. Meds and psychologists will not do much, except may lead you to have additional problems.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Dec 2 at 2015 10:55 AM

2015-12-02T10:55:27-05:00

Yup... I am a huge insomniac. It's caused by pain and anxiety in my case... but there are many causes...

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Dec 2 at 2015 2:44 PM

2015-12-02T14:44:07-05:00

Insomnia may not be part of PTSD, but does PTSD exacerbate insomnia? Many military leaving the service today are being diagnosed with sleep apena, should they too be diagnosed with this suggested “trauma-associated sleep disorder?"

Response by SGT Glenn E Moody made Dec 2 at 2015 7:59 PM

2015-12-02T19:59:28-05:00

i never saw combat and i have had sleep disorder ever since basic training back in 1982 that is they kept us awake all the time going weeks at a time with only 3 hours of sleep or less they called it training. but it gave most or all of us sleep disorder's and only the active duty Army got help. but us Nat. Guard Army never got any help with any Medical needs. now my knees are gone and hurt all the time i can't even go to the V.A. for help i get nothing for my 6 years of service except i get to put Veteran on my driver license and license plates on my car. and that's it nothing more.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 9:34 PM

2015-12-02T21:34:25-05:00

Stress and schedule changes

Response by Sherry El Dora Trinity made Dec 3 at 2015 6:34 AM

2015-12-03T06:34:24-05:00

Col Milel, I find an effective tool for insomnia I use is cycle breathing. It's where you slow down your breathing to match the rate of your heart. A sniper friend of mine taught me this and it's the fastest way to put your brain into a beta /thedia brain waves. And sleep will come instantly. He used to have to cycle in 20 mins in and out with a partner on patrol in Nam so they could last the night.

Response by CW3 Jim Norris made Dec 4 at 2015 1:17 PM

2015-12-04T13:17:31-05:00

Yep, my counselor wanted to address both aspects of my behavior. First let's take care of sleeplessness, via Ambian at first and now with a CPAP and occasional tablets......then we started working through the anger, startle reflex, counting the number of people in a room, not being able to sit in a public place with back to a door, fear of being unarmed (had to have at least a pocket knife with me), ...etc. It appeared to me that she had me working on each of the 'pieces' that make up my PTSD one at a time......I'm much better and hopefully will eventually be totally at peace with myself and others....we'll see. I still keep a pocket knife, but now I am just wanting to be able to make minor repairs or remove a wood splinter, not thinking of it as a defensive item.....most of the time, when not a work in the office I still carry a side arm.....so, a work in progress as are we all I suppose.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 4 at 2015 2:07 PM

2015-12-04T14:07:01-05:00

On the flip side, prolonged periods of lack of sleep is not good for the brain. Two sleep researches stayed up for several days and committed suicide after the study.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Dec 4 at 2015 2:19 PM

2015-12-04T14:19:39-05:00

Great article Sir. I suffer from sleep issues and I have a C-CRAP machine. I know it's the CPAP, but to me it's the C-CRAP. Don't know why, but I slept better when I went to the field or on any deployment ever, and the sleep might be very brief, but I was able to function like I had been allowed to sleep a whole night. Don't know why it's that way.

Response by SSG Todd Halverson made Dec 4 at 2015 2:35 PM

2015-12-04T14:35:49-05:00

I agree that it may not be a part of PTSD. I ad sleep issues long before my PTSD. I now use a CPAP and meds that help me get a few hours of sleep, but I still don't sleep through the night.
Insomnia can be a side effect of PTSD because of some of the symptoms that can cause a person to not be restful at night.
If I had it my way, I would be awake all night and take short naps throughout the day. Just seems I sleep better during the daylight hours than at night.;

Response by CSM Tony Bowen made Dec 4 at 2015 4:15 PM

2015-12-04T16:15:49-05:00

I actually have had a lack of sleep since I was a little boy falling sleep under the kitchen table so that my dad wouldn't leave me when he went on his morning paper deliveries when he first retired at Fort Hood. Can't blame the Army and I never claimed it for disability. I only claimed what the Army did to me.

Response by SGT Jennifer Rixe made Dec 5 at 2015 3:53 PM

2015-12-05T15:53:43-05:00

This is a relief to read. I know that I do not suffer from PTSD but I do suffer from insomnia. I underwent 2 sleep studies and the doctor's couldn't tell me why I "wake up" 5-7 times in an hour time frame taking about 10 minutes to fall back to "sleep" each time. I haven't had a good night sleep since 2002!

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Feb 15 at 2016 8:59 AM

2016-02-15T08:59:03-05:00

Thank you for bringing this topic up for discussion. I often do not sleep enough in a single period. Just last night I woke up about every hour to an hour and a half and then dozed back to sleep. I wake up tired. Usually in the early afternoon when I sit and watch a bit of court TV, I sometimes start to doze off, but never actually fall asleep. From what I am reading, I may need to bring this up with my VA doctor on my next visit. Due to what I perceived as my "easy go of it" in Vietnam and also in Iraq, I did not identify my sleeping problems being associated with PTSD. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have it checked out.

Response by Cpl J Miller made Feb 17 at 2016 10:19 AM

2016-02-17T10:19:18-05:00

I've been diagnosed with PTSD but can't say I experience the insomnia side of things.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2016 11:48 AM

2016-02-17T11:48:50-05:00

Some of us need a little background hum of a generator, etc... to sleep peacefully and that is often disruptive to our significant others.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jul 28 at 2016 3:09 PM

2016-07-28T15:09:12-04:00

My Insomnia is caused by Mild TBI, and if I don't Sleep the Monster that is called PTSD takes over, so for me sleep medication is necessary.