Our sleep team frequently gets asked which treatment we recommend for patients suffering with trauma-related nightmares. Our faculty members often struggle to answer this question because several promising treatments exist, but data is inconclusive when it comes to determining which one works better for whom. To help you navigate the options, I will summarize the promising treatments that are most commonly available.
Here at the Center for Deployment Psychology, we often receive questions during training events and via email about sleep-related challenges military patients may have. This makes sense, as sleep problems are one of the most common issues among Service member and Veterans. Let’s take a look at some of the more frequently asked questions-and provide some answers-in this audio format.
Years ago, when I was on active duty, I was called to serve as the psychologist on a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in the case of a recent suicide of a Service member at the installation. While every suicide is a unique loss, this loss crosses my mind frequently. The husband and his wife, returned home very late one night from a date night and began to argue. As the argument escalated, he fatally shot himself. Although there were many precipitating factors, I have often wondered – would it be different if this had happened during the day? Did he feel it was so late he had no one to call and nowhere to go? Was he tired and exhausted?”
In this blog, Dr. Rogers briefly reviews current literature examining the relationship between PTSD, sleep disturbances, and suicidality. Increasingly, research is examining the link between different types of sleep disturbances and their relationship with suicidality (e.g., suicidal ideation and attempts). The purpose of this blog will be to review the latest findings about the relationship between sleep disturbances and suicidality for Service members and Veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
