Sleep disorders in a military population.

Introduction: Sleep disorders are common in the civilian population, but little is known about which sleep disorders are common in members of the military. This article compares a group of military personnel referred to our sleep disorders center with a group of civilian controls also referred to our sleep disorders center.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 70 Canadian military personnel and 70 civilian controls matched for age and gender. All subjects had full polysomnography. We compared reasons for referral and final sleep diagnoses for both groups.

Results: The mean age of each group was 40.8 +/- 7.0 SD (military) and 40.8 +/- 7.3 SD (civilians), and there were 61 men and 9 women in each group. Both groups were obese (body mass index, 30.2 +/- 5.3 (military) versus 32.5 +/- 6.9 (civilian)). Both groups were also pathologically sleepy during the day (Epworth Sleepiness Score, 10.4 +/- 4.6 (military) versus 11.3 +/- 5.4 (civilian)). The majority of referrals in each group were to rule out a sleep breathing disorder (SBD) (66% military versus 79% civilian, p = not significant). Only military patients were referred to rule out a movement disorder (17.1% military versus 0% civilian; 95% confidence interval of the difference = 8.4%-27.6%, p < 0.05). Fewer military were referred because of excessive daytime sleepiness or insomnia (7.1% military versus 20.0% civilian, 95% confidence interval of the difference = -24.4% to -1.4%, p < 0.05). The most common diagnosis confirmed in both groups was a SBD (53% military, 66% civilian, p = not significant).

Conclusions: The range and distribution of sleep disorders seen in the military population is similar to that in the civilian population. Both groups were overweight and sleepy and were found to have SBD and movement disorders. These findings underscore the importance of diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in both groups. The neurocognitive impairment associated with SBD and movement disorders impacts highly on the ability of these groups to safely perform their jobs.