How do I Get a Diagnosis so I Can File a VA Claim? Depending on the severity of your symptoms, the rating can range from 0% up to a 100% VA disability rating. The VA rates insomnia “analogous to a mental health claim.” There are 33 mental health conditions that are considered service-related. How do I Know if I Have Insomnia?ĭoes Insomnia Constitute a Distinct VA Disability Rating? If you’re a veteran, chances are high that you were sleep deprived during at least some of your time in service and that you continue to be plagued by insomnia. A very strong correlation exists between PTSD and insomnia: 90% of people with PTSD suffer from insomnia. Statistics show that up to 29% of Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans and approximately 10% of Vietnam War veterans experience PTSD, as compared to 6% of the general population. PTSD, which is particularly prevalent in the military.How good of a soldier will you be when you’re fog-brained, clumsy, and slow to react due to sleeplessness? While this may seem to be positive, allowing people to be tough on the battlefield, it can easily backfire. The military culture tends to reward people who can stay strong without the comforts of everyday life. Tough guy culture, which may equate the need for sleep with weakness.When you’re up when the sun is down, and, even worse, when your schedule is swinging between days and nights, it can be very hard to get to sleep/stay asleep as well as wake up/stay awake. The body thrives on consistency and, as mentioned above, a schedule aligned with the sun. Our body is attuned to the patterns of the sun, but what happens when you have little to no exposure to real sunlight? A constant barrage of artificial light at times when the sun is not shining can add to the body clock confusion. Lack of sunlight, i.e., in submarines or high-security SCIFs (sensitive compartmented information facilities) without windows.Whether a soldier is going on frequent temporary duty assignments (TDYs) to far-flung parts of the world or sailing on a vessel that is regularly passing from one time zone to the next, their body clocks can become seriously disoriented. Disruption of circadian rhythms (internal clock) due to travel across different time zones (common with military travel and deployments).Military training can derail sleep patterns and make it hard to get back on track. It’s common for soldiers to get just a handful of hours of sleep during military training, and even those short spurts can often be broken up. Limited sleep opportunities during military training.With makeshift sleep setups, nighttime wakings, late nights, early mornings, and constantly changing sleep schedules, deployments can be the enemy of a good night’s rest. Poor sleeping conditions during deployments.Sleep can be disrupted due to the following: Clearly, the military can set people up for sleeping problems. population says they don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night compared to 76% of military members. Book Now Why is Insomnia so Common Among Military Veterans?

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