Sleep Disturbance is Common Among Service Members and Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom

Using an online survey for Service members and Veterans who had experienced deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, this study examined the association between combat experience, mental health symptoms (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and anxiety), and sleep problems. Results indicated that as combat exposure and mental health symptoms increased, sleep problems also increased. When predicting sleep problems, however, only PTSD and depression symptoms were uniquely associated with greater sleep problems.