Trends and factors associated with insomnia and sleep apnea in all United States military service members from 2005 to 2014

Abstract

Sleep disorders are a critical issue for the military, as they impact operational readiness, personnel health, wellbeing and health‐care costs. The incidence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are increasing in the United States civilian population, and rates in military personnel exceed those of civilians. Using a comprehensive database, rates of medical encounters for insomnia and OSA were investigated and their associations with various demographic factors examined in the total US military population [1,381,406 ± 25,123, mean ± standard deviation (SD) personnel per year] from 2005 to 2014. Encounters for insomnia increased from 16 of 1000 in 2005 to 75 of 1000 in 2014 (372%). Encounters for OSA increased from 44 of 1000 in 2005 to 273 of 1000 in 2014 (517%). Those experiencing the greatest increases in insomnia included women, individuals ≥40 years of age, blacks, senior enlisted personnel and Army personnel compared to other military services. Those experiencing the greatest rates of OSA included men, individuals ≥40 years of age, blacks, senior officers and Army personnel. Rates of insomnia and OSA increased linearly over time (R2 = 0.95–0.99; P US military.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 27, 2017
Source ID
10.1111/jsr.12543

Entities

People

  • Harris R Lieberman
  • John A. Caldwell
  • Joseph J Knapik

Organizations

  • Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
  • United States Army Medical Research and Development Command
  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Circadian Sleep-Wake Regulation and Chronobiology
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