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Review
. 2024 Jun 1;20(6):973-981.
doi: 10.5664/jcsm.11088.

From trenches to technology: a narrative review of sleep medicine in the military

Connie L Thomas  1   2   3 , Kyle Carr  3 , Felix Yang  3 , Sarah Fleisher  3 , Paul Um  3 , Bradford Clemens  3 , Ryan McNutt  4 , Thomas Balkin  1 , Jacob F Collen  2   3
Affiliations
Review

From trenches to technology: a narrative review of sleep medicine in the military

Connie L Thomas et al. J Clin Sleep Med. .

Abstract

Diagnoses of military-relevant sleep disorders have increased substantially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The cause of this increase appears to be complicated and multifactorial, with military and civilian populations clearly differing with respect to both the nature and distribution of sleep disorders diagnoses. In part, these differences may be attributable to the fact that a majority of service members are chronically sleep-restricted-an unavoidable consequence of continuous and sustained military operations that "set the stage" for development of specific sleep disorders. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe the military relevance of several common sleep disorders, assess the extent to which these disorders currently constitute a burden on the military health care system, and suggest strategies to alleviate that burden. The military health care system does not have enough sleep medicine providers to address the immediate and long-term consequences of sleep disorders in military personnel. Digital technologies and education packages can be leveraged to improve access to care.

Citation: Thomas CL, Carr K, Yang F, et al. From trenches to technology: a narrative review of sleep medicine in the military. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):973-981.

Keywords: insomnia; insufficient sleep; mental health; military; obstructive sleep apnea; parasomnias.

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Conflict of interest statement

Material has been reviewed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. There is no objection to its presentation and/or publication. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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