Sign in Subscribe
Soldiers

Sleep Medicine Takes Center Stage in the U.S. Army's Efforts to Improve Soldier Health

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The U.S. Army has recognized the critical importance of sleep medicine in the lives of its soldiers, as evidenced by a decade-long increase in the number of soldiers experiencing insomnia and other sleep disorders. According to Department of Defense statistics, the number of soldiers experiencing insomnia has risen by 10-fold over the past decade. Chronic sleep problems have been linked to impaired driving abilities, cognitive processing, and the exacerbation of existing conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. To address this growing concern, the Army has dedicated itself to research and treatment of sleep disorders, with Lt. Col. Vincent Mysliwiec, M.D., at the forefront of this effort.

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of soldiers experiencing insomnia has increased by 10-fold over the past decade, according to Department of Defense statistics.
  • Chronic sleep problems can lead to impaired driving abilities, cognitive processing, and the exacerbation of existing conditions like PTSD and depression.
  • Lt. Col. Vincent Mysliwiec, M.D., is the chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine Service at Madigan Healthcare System in Tacoma, Wash.
  • Mysliwiec has dedicated his medical career to understanding risk factors and treatments for sleep disorders in soldiers.
  • The Army has 26 sleep medicine specialists, including Mysliwiec, who evaluate tens of thousands of patients each year.
  • Madigan Healthcare System conducts 1,000 sleep studies each year, while the Walter Reed Army Sleep Disorder Center is one of the largest academic sleep labs in the country.
  • Treatments for sleep disorders, such as maxilla-mandibular advancement surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, have shown promise in alleviating symptoms.
  • Actigraphs, wrist watch devices, can be used to track sleep-wake patterns in soldiers, allowing for treatment and education on sleep improvement techniques.
  • Both in-lab and at-home sleep studies are used to diagnose and treat sleep disorders, including polysomnograms and sleep restriction therapy.
  • Soldiers can be treated for sleep disorders and co-existing conditions, such as PTSD and TBI, simultaneously, rather than sequentially.

Statistics:

  • 10-fold increase in soldiers experiencing insomnia over the past decade (Department of Defense statistics).
  • 77% of soldiers in a recent study experienced combat exposure and slept less than six hours per night (Mysliwiec et al. study published in SLEEP, 2011).
  • 37% of soldiers in the study experienced PTSD, 27% had mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), and 20% had obesity (Mysliwiec et al. study published in SLEEP, 2011).
  • 1,000 sleep studies conducted annually at Madigan Healthcare System.
  • 6,500 sleep studies conducted annually at the Walter Reed Army Sleep Disorder Center.
  • 43% of soldiers undergoing maxilla-mandibular advancement surgery experienced significant reduction in obstructive sleep apnea symptoms (Mysliwiec's study at a sleep conference in June 2011).

Sources:

  • Department of Defense statistics on increase in soldiers experiencing insomnia.
  • Mysliwiec, V., et al. (2011). "Sleep Disturbances and Co-Existing Medical Conditions in Redeployed Soldiers." SLEEP, 34(9), 1115-1124.
  • Mysliwiec, V. (June 2011). "Maxilla-Mandibular Advancement Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Case Series of Soldiers." Sleep Conference.
  • U.S. Army Public Health Command. (2011). "Sleep and Sleep Disorders in the Military: A Review of the Literature."

Read more