Deployment Psychology Blog

“Why do I need to fill out a sleep log? My FitBit/Apple Watch/Oura Ring already tells me everything about my sleep.”
Even if you are new to assessing and treating insomnia, you have probably already encountered a patient asking similar questions. A key component – possibly the most important component – of effective treatment is the subjective tracking of sleep using a sleep log or sleep diary. But it seems perfectly reasonable that a patient would prefer to give you the data that is already being collected by their favorite wearable technology. Do we really need the sleep log to provide good treatment?

Military readiness is a critical measure to ensure that service members are both physically and mentally prepared to carry out their duties. As was highlighted in last week’s blog, readiness assessments are vital for maintaining operational effectiveness and helping to ensure that the military is taking care of its service members by identifying problems early and ensuring access to treatment. These evaluations consider both physical and behavioral health; however, today’s post will focus on the behavioral health portion and what specific domains are assessed.