Sleep Difficulties
Difficulty sleeping is a common problem for people suffering from PTSD. Between insomnia and nightmares, they get very little restful sleep. When someone has an extended period of inadequate sleep, it takes a serious toll on the body’s health. It’s impossible to “make up” all the hours of lost sleep in one extended period of rest.
Poor Sleep Can Lead To:
- Slow reaction time
- Trouble with learning and memory
- Feeling irritable and having mood problems
- Trouble with thinking and concentration
- Thinking about suicide or acting in ways that cause self-harm
- Medical problems such as heart disease, depression, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and stroke.
How PTSD Affects Sleep
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia is defined as trouble falling asleep at least three nights a week).
- Nightmares (i.e., replaying the events of the trauma on a mental loop with the horror of the event always before them). Many people find it difficult to fall back to sleep after a nightmare. Some nightmares are so vivid that the person becomes physically active, kicking, hitting, yelling, and thrashing, which is very disturbing to their sleep partner and other members of the household.
- Due to the nightmares, people sometimes avoid going to sleep. They stay up later than usual, hoping that extreme fatigue will keep them from dreaming.
- They may begin to talk out loud in their sleep, reliving the events of the trauma, which is very disturbing to others in the room.
- They may not feel it is safe to go to sleep due to feelings of danger and anxiety. They feel “on alert” all the time, so that when they do fall asleep, the sleep is fitful and restless. They have a sense that danger is near and must stay alert.
- Silence may be difficult at night, allowing them to hear distant sirens or noises their imagination exploits. Many start sleeping with the television on at night. Flickering light and sound can interrupt deep sleep and prevent people from achieving the deepest, most necessary sleep.
Some individuals become so desperate to sleep that they resort to self-medicating in an effort to pass out. Use of substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and sleep aids can become a crutch that adds to the struggles of coping with this condition.
Treatment for Sleep Problems
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBT-I is the recommended therapy over the use of medication. It has fewer side effects, with a success rate of 7/10. Research also shows it works well in reducing nightmares and upsetting dreams. CBT-I is usually a six-session program administered in person or using telemedicine.
Sleep Hygiene Tips
- Limit caffeine before bedtime.
- Avoid using a cellphone or watching television immediately prior to bedtime.
- Don’t use your bed to watch TV or lie around prior to bedtime. Reserve it for sleeping.
Source:
PTSD: National Center for PTSD U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
