Are Military Veterans More Prone to Sleep Apnea?

Sleep is an important part of health for everyone, especially military veterans. Although the cause is not distinctly known, there is a strong correlation between veterans and sleep disorders – specifically sleep apnea.

What is the Connection Between Military and Sleep Apnea?

One study from the Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, has shown there is a high prevalence of sleep disorders for active military members.

“While sleep deprivation is part of the military culture, the high prevalence of short sleep duration in military personnel with sleep disorders was surprising. The potential risk of increased accidents as well as long-term clinical consequences of both short sleep duration and a sleep disorder in our population is unknown.”

• Vincent Mysliwiec, MD

In this study, military personnel were referred with sleep disorders. Of those in the study, 85.1% were diagnosed with a sleep disorder with sleep apnea being the most commonly diagnosed sleep disorder (51.2%).

Another study of young veterans shows there is a 40% increase in the probability of Obstructive Sleep Apnea as PTSD severity increases.  This study reviewed 195 vets with PTSD – 69.2% of the veterans were at high risk for OSA. Young veterans are rarely screened for sleep apnea and continue to remain undiagnosed.

Why Are PTSD and Sleep Apnea Related?

It is currently unknown why the two disorders are so likely to be linked. Some potential reasons you might find PTSD and Sleep Apnea as comorbidities include:

• Disturbed Combat Sleep
• Prolonged Sleep Deprivation
• Sleep Fragmentation and Hyperarousal
• Physical and Mental Stress from Combat
• Stress from PTSD
• Sleep Disturbances from OSA

When PTSD and Sleep Apnea are present together in one patient, they often end up aggravating the other and increasing the severity. The two cause a downward spiral of symptoms as they continue to go untreated. It is imperative to seek treatment, and Sleep Cycle Center is here to help. We offer a variety of treatment options targeted at increasing your overall health. There are several links to sleep disorders, and we want to focus on them all instead of just treating one.

What Should Be Done to Treat Sleep Apnea?

If you or someone you love seems to be suffering from sleep apnea, the first step is to take our Sleep Apnea Screener. It is 92% accurate and should be completed before any other tests are done. The sleep screener is a quick series of questions, which will tell you if you are suffering from sleep apnea. If the screener comes back positive, we can then schedule you for an at-home sleep test. A device is worn on your finger while you are sleeping. Your sleep data is then uploaded automatically, and we will share your results with you. Unlike traditional sleep tests, our sleep test can be administered in the comfort of your own home, no sleep to go to a sleep lab. The results from your sleep test will help us build a treatment plan for you.

We are proud to announce that we now accept TriCare. Sleep apnea affects too large a number of our nation’s finest, and we are proud to be able to support these brave men and women’s health. Call us today to get started!