Prevalence, predictors and correlates of insomnia in US army soldiers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the rates, predictors and correlates of insomnia in a national sample of US Army soldiers. Data were gathered from the cross-sectional survey responses of the All-Army Study, of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service members. Participants were a representative sample of 21 499 US Army soldiers who responded to the All-Army Study self-administered questionnaire between 2011 and 2013. Insomnia was defined by selected DSM-5 criteria using the Brief Insomnia Questionnaire. The results highlight significant functional difficulties associated with insomnia among US soldiers, as well as insights into predictors of insomnia specific to this population. Insomnia was present in 22.76% of the sample. Predictors of insomnia status in logistic regression included greater number of current mental health disorders, less perceived open lines of communication with leadership, less unit member support and less education. Insomnia had global, negative associations with health, social functioning, support, morale, work performance and Army career intentions. The results provide the strongest evidence to-date that insomnia is common in a military population, and is associated with a wide array of negative factors in the domains of health, military readiness and intentions to remain in military careers.

Sleep disturbance at pre-deployment is a significant predictor of post-deployment re-experiencing symptoms

“…These findings are similar to those observed in soldiers with sleep disturbance in the larger Army STARRS study (n = 21,499) (Klingaman et al, 2018;Taylor et al, 2016). As noted in both studies, in comparison to civilians, military service members face a number of environmental stressors and challenges that may place them at increased risk for sleep disturbance including, but not limited to, frequent overnight and early-morning shift work, exposure to deployment stress, frequent changes in duty assignments, and in duty station (Klingaman et al, 2018;Taylor et al, 2016).…”

“…A growing body of research has shown that USA (US) military personnel are at elevated risk for insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality, with rates of sleep disturbance higher than rates in civilians (Klingaman, Brownlow, Boland, Mosti, & Gehrman, 2018;RAND Corporation;. These research findings are consistent with results of sleep study in Canadian and European military cohorts, although mixed results have also been reported (Danker-Hopfe et al, 2017;Pettersson, Saers, Lindberg, & Janson, 2016;Reijnen, Rademaker, Vermetten, & Geuze, 2015;Richardson, Thompson, & King et al, 2017).…”

How sleep problems contribute to simulator sickness: Preliminary results from a realistic driving scenario

“…The results of this study have implications for usage of simulation techniques to assess daytime functioning and training in clinical and professional settings. Insomnia is highly prevalent in military personnel (Gehrman et al, 2013;Klingaman, Brownlow, Boland, Mosti, & Gehrman, 2017), while sleep problems are also highly prevalent in airline pilots (Reis et al, 2016) and have been associated to affected operational performance (Thomas & Ferguson, 2010). The assessment and treatment of pre-existing sleep problems in military and aviation personnel is thus vital to prevent not only operational errors and psychiatric problems, but also oculomotor and nausea symptoms in simulation environments used for their training.…”

Effects of Computer-Based Documentation Procedures on Health Care Workload Assessment and Resource Allocation: An Example From VA Sleep Medicine Programs

“…The prevalence of sleep disordersparticularly apnea and insomnia-among US military service members and veterans has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades and continues to rise. [12][13][14] Consequently, demand for sleep care services at VHA facilities also has increased substantially ( Figure 1). Unfortunately, this demand has outpaced the VHA's staffing models, sometimes resulting in long wait times for appointments.…”