Sleep disturbance during military deployment

Mil Med. 2008 Mar;173(3):230-5. doi: 10.7205/milmed.173.3.230.

Abstract

This preliminary investigation evaluated symptoms of sleep disturbance and insomnia in a group of 156 deployed military personnel. A 21-item Military Deployment Survey of Sleep was administered to provide self-reported estimates of a variety of sleep parameters. The results indicated that 74% of participants rated their quality of sleep as significantly worse in the deployed environment, 40% had a sleep efficiency of < 85%, and 42% had a sleep onset latency of > 30 minutes. Night-shift workers had significantly worse sleep efficiency and more problems getting to sleep and staying asleep as compared to day-shift workers. The results of the study indicate the need for programs to help deployed military members get more and better sleep.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Behavior Therapy
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Military Personnel*
  • Military Psychiatry*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Psychological Tests
  • Risk Factors
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / etiology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / prevention & control
  • Stress, Psychological / complications*
  • United States / epidemiology