Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Air Force Times

Kevlar for the Mind: Having trouble sleeping? Deeper problems could be to blame

Getting adequate sleep in the military can be a challenge. From their first days in uniform, recruits are conditioned to view sleep as a privilege dispensed by those responsible for their training. The “standard” eight hours is more fiction than fact, and many troops may view four to five hours of Z’s a night as a precious luxury.

Quantity is just one side of the story; quality is just as critical. You can sleep all day, but if your sleep is constantly disrupted, you’ll likely feel tired when you wake up.

Sleep can be disrupted by trivial things such as a noisy roommate or a bedroom that’s too hot or too cold. In a combat zone, you can add in the near-constant din of helicopters, 2-ton vehicles rolling over loose rocks, and incoming and outgoing rounds.

Getting enough sleep while deployed is a challenge in itself. But the problems caused by lack of sleep can linger well after you return home.

When psychological issues related to combat deployments are present, they can greatly exacerbate and complicate sleep problems.

For example, people suffering from depression often are fitful and restless at night or wake up and can’t fall back to sleep.

Those dealing with anxiety may have problems getting to sleep, often spending hours lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

And for those battling post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares can wreak havoc on both quantity and quality of sleep.

In such situations, it’s important to seek the help of a mental health or medical professional. Insomnia usually will continue until the underlying psychological problem is resolved.

Unfortunately, many service members continue to view the idea of seeking mental health treatment as a sign of weakness and a potential career-killer.

We need to overcome that stigma and erase that stereotype. The bottom line is that while sleep disturbances are common, effective treatments are available.

Getting your sleep problems under control following a combat deployment may be as easy as changing a few behaviors. But those who need professional help should not — and cannot — be afraid to ask for it.

Sleep well.

Bret A. Moore, Psy.D., is a board-certified clinical psychologist and a former active-duty psychologist who served two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. E-mail him questions at kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com.