TUESDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- Insomnia among U.S. combat
veterans returning from Iraq is as severe as that seen in patients
with chronic insomnia, according to University of Pittsburgh
researchers.
They compared 14 vets with post-deployment adjustment disorders
to 14 insomnia patients and 14 good sleepers, and found that the
vets displayed significantly more severe disruptive nocturnal
behaviors, such as nightmares and body movements, than people in
the other two groups.
Insomnia complaints among the vets were as severe as complaints
among insomnia patients, and the vets had significantly worse sleep
quality than good sleepers.
"These findings highlight the urgent need for sleep-focused
assessments and treatments in this new group of combat-exposed
military veterans," principal investigator Anne Germain said in a
prepared statement.
The findings were expected to be presented Tuesday at the annual
meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in
Baltimore.
A study presented at the meeting Monday concluded that a
combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment
for insomnia may be effective among veterans returning from
Iraq.
The study included five male veterans, aged 25 to 37, who'd had
insomnia for one to five years. All of them spent 15 to 23 months
in Iraq over one to three deployments. Researchers found that the
veterans preferred relaxation therapy and pharmacological treatment
followed by stimulus control instructions, sleep restriction
therapy, mindfulness-based intervention, and sleep education and
hygiene.
Electronic approaches such as MP3 files and the Internet were
the preferred non-pharmacological treatment delivery methods, using
four weeks of 30- to 60-minute treatment in the evening or with
24-hour access. Three veterans took daily sleep diaries home, and
two completed the diaries using a daily voice mail service.
"These preferences may reflect the technology savvy of this new
era of veterans. An Internet-based, non-medication intervention
could supplement the pharmacological treatment available in routine
care," study author Dana R. Epstein, of the Phoenix Veterans
Affairs Health Care System, said in a prepared statement.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about
insomnia.
