A new report from the RAND Corporation suggests that treating military members' sleep disturbances early on may be an important step in preventing serious mental-health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury.
The two-year multi-method study examined sleep-related policies and programs across the U.S. Department of Defense and surveyed almost 2,000 veterans from various branches of the military to evaluate their sleep habits. The findings emphasized the negative effects of poor sleep on soldiers' mental health, daytime impairment and perceived operational readiness; and it outlined interventions for helping identify and prevent sleep problems for service members.
The Huffington Post reports:
The researchers recommended that the military improve screening for sleep disturbance, and develop guidelines for doctors on how to identify and treat sleep disorders in the military. Apps on mobile phones might be one new way to identify and monitor sleep problems so they do not become chronic and debilitating, the researchers said.
Although the new report focused on activity-duty troops, studies show that sleep problems are often missed in veterans as well, [Wendy Troxel, PhD, co-author of the report] said, so there is also a need to develop guidelines for treating this population. In a previous survey of 3,000 veterans, 74 percent had symptoms of insomnia, but only 28 percent had talked with their doctor about it, Troxel said.
The researchers also recommended improving policies and programs to educate military personnel about the importance of sleep, and provide guidance on how to help military members get better sleep.
Previously: Study shows benefits of breathing meditation among veterans with PTSD, The promise of yoga-based treatments to help veterans with PTSD and Using mindfulness therapies to treat veterans' PTSD
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