Veterans return from extremely stressful experiences, and are known to bring PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) home with them. And sleep apnea may be part of the problem. According to recent research, stopping sleep apnea may be a key factor in helping PTSD victims stop their nightmares and recover from their trauma.
Studies done on both returning veterans and sexually abused women have shown a very high incidence of sleep apnea in those that have PTSD. In fact, most of the studies found that over 50 percent had PTSD — much higher than the average population. Why patients with PTSD are more likely to have sleep apnea remains unknown at this time. However, the fact they do is undisputable.
Continuing on, regarding a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine:
They studied 69 veterans with sleep apnea and PTSD for one year. The findings were very encouraging. Those veterans who were compliant with their sleep apnea treatment (continuous positive airway pressure treatment, or CPAP) exhibited a 50 percent drop in the number of nightmares they experienced per week. In fact, for every 10 percent increase in usage above the median, there was a further drop of about 10 percent in nightmare frequency. As expected, these veterans also reported feeling more rested and less fatigued.
Seems you can nip those nightmares by getting more quality sleep. Surgical Sleep Solutions can show you how.