Sleep Troubles Plague Ukrainian Soldiers

The war in Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on soldiers' mental health, with sleep problems being a major issue. A recent study looked at how common insomnia and nightmares are among Ukrainian combatants dealing with stress-related mental health issues. The study focused on 99 male soldiers aged 18 to 59 who were receiving treatment for stress-related disorders. These disorders included adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The soldiers were assessed using various questionnaires and interviews to evaluate their sleep quality and the presence of nightmares. The results showed that a large majority of the soldiers suffered from significant insomnia. Specifically, 77. 8% of those with adjustment disorder and 82. 5% of those with PTSD reported clinically significant insomnia. Nightmares were also very common, with 86. 1% of adjustment disorder patients and 90. 5% of PTSD patients experiencing them.One of the key findings was the high prevalence of probable Trauma-Associated Sleep Disorder (TASD) among the soldiers. About 80. 6% of those with adjustment disorder and 84. 1% of those with PTSD met the criteria for probable TASD. This indicates that sleep disorders are a significant problem for soldiers dealing with stress-related mental health issues. The study also found that soldiers with clinically significant insomnia were 2. 5 times more likely to develop TASD compared to those without insomnia. This relationship remained strong even after accounting for other factors that could influence the results. Overall, the study highlights the urgent need to address sleep disorders among Ukrainian combatants. The strong link between insomnia and TASD suggests that screening for insomnia could be an important step in identifying soldiers at risk for TASD. This could help in providing timely and effective treatment to improve their mental health and well-being.