By the Numbers: 19 August 2019
652%
The percentage increase in the incidence of insomnia among Service members from 2003 to 2011, according to a recent study in the journal Sleep -- The association of insomnia and sleep apnea with deployment and combat exposure in the entire population of US army soldiers from 1997 to 2011: a retrospective cohort investigation. Additionally, there was a 600% increase in the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea.
Factors increasing insomnia risk were deployment (risk ratio [RR] [deployed/not deployed] = 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.04–2.08) and combat exposure (RR [exposed/not exposed] = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.19–1.22). Risk of OSA was increased by deployment (RR [deployed/not deployed] = 2.14; 95% CI, 2.11–2.17), but not combat exposure (RR [exposed/not exposed] = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98–1.02). These relationships remained after accounting for other factors in multivariable analyses. A number of comorbid medical conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury mediated a portion of the association between the sleep disorders and deployment. It is essential to determine underlying mechanisms responsible for these very large increases in insomnia and OSA and introduce effective preventive measures.
652%
The percentage increase in the incidence of insomnia among Service members from 2003 to 2011, according to a recent study in the journal Sleep -- The association of insomnia and sleep apnea with deployment and combat exposure in the entire population of US army soldiers from 1997 to 2011: a retrospective cohort investigation. Additionally, there was a 600% increase in the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea.
Factors increasing insomnia risk were deployment (risk ratio [RR] [deployed/not deployed] = 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.04–2.08) and combat exposure (RR [exposed/not exposed] = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.19–1.22). Risk of OSA was increased by deployment (RR [deployed/not deployed] = 2.14; 95% CI, 2.11–2.17), but not combat exposure (RR [exposed/not exposed] = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98–1.02). These relationships remained after accounting for other factors in multivariable analyses. A number of comorbid medical conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury mediated a portion of the association between the sleep disorders and deployment. It is essential to determine underlying mechanisms responsible for these very large increases in insomnia and OSA and introduce effective preventive measures.