Kevlar for the Mind: Sleep disorders range from annoying to life-threatening - Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Air Force Times

Kevlar for the Mind: Sleep disorders range from annoying to life-threatening

Sleep-disordered breathing refers to a group of sleep disorders that cause disruptions in breathing patterns and reduce the level of oxygen in the body. Research has shown that some sleep breathing difficulties have a negative impact on health, particularly heart health. Two common disorders of this group are snoring and sleep apnea.

Snoring is extremely common and can cause significant distress for the service member and those who share his sleeping quarters.

Snoring may develop or worsen from harsh environmental conditions during deployments and training exercises due to increased nasal congestion. If this is the case, treating the congestion with medication or nasal strips may be all that’s needed. In and of itself, snoring is not harmful — just annoying to those around you.

A much more serious disorder is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when the airway is blocked or narrowed during sleep. An apnea is a period of time during which breathing stops or is significantly reduced. In basic terms, an apnea occurs when a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, feeling tired in the morning, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, waking up throughout the night, and making gasping or choking sounds while sleeping.

The most common causes of sleep apnea include weak tongue or throat muscles, large tongue or tonsils, excess fat around the neck, brain dysfunction, or being born with a narrow airway.

Although it occurs in only about 5 percent of the general population, more than 70 percent of obese people suffer from this disorder. One study showed that one in three professional football linemen had sleep apnea.

In the past, service members with sleep apnea often were medically retired from service. This practice has changed as increased infrastructure in combat environments like Iraq and Afghanistan have made it possible for troops to use continuous positive airway pressure machines.

CPAPs increase air pressure in your throat so that your airway doesn’t collapse when you breathe in. Connected to the machine is a tube leading to a mask that covers the nose, or nose and mouth, which the individual wears while sleeping each night.

Regardless of whether you suffer from snoring, sleep apnea or some other biological or psychological sleep disorder, you should consult your primary health care provider if you feel your poor sleep is negatively impacting your day-to-day life.

Most military medical centers have a full-time, board-certified sleep physician on staff or maintain a contract with a provider in the community.

Bret A. Moore is a clinical psychologist who served two tours in Iraq and is the author of “Wheels Down: Adjusting to Life after Deployment.” E-mail him. Names and identifying details will be kept confidential. This column is for informational purposes only. Readers should see a mental health professional or physician for mental health problems.