Sex differences in US military personnel with insomnia, sleep apnea, or both
Updated
Abstract
Among 372 treatment-seeking military personnel, military men with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA) had a greater apnea-hypopnea index compared to women with COMISA.
- No significant differences were found between men and women with insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea in self-reported symptoms or polysomnography metrics.
- Women with COMISA reported greater symptoms of nightmare disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety compared to their male counterparts.
- The findings suggest that military service may lead to distinct sleep disorder characteristics that are not significantly influenced by sex.
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Funding
Competing interests
All authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript. Work on this project was completed at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, and at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The data from this study are maintained at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in the South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience (STRONG STAR) Repository. Requests for access to the data can be emailed to repository@strongstar.org. This work was supported by the Defense Health Agency, Defense Medical Research and Development Program, Clinical Research Intramural Initiative for Military Women’s Health (DM170708; Mysliwiec) and the US Air Force Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (FA8650-18-2-6953; to A.L.P.). V.M. has served as a consultant for Armed Forces HST, CPAP Medical, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, NOCTEM Health, and Sleep Care Inc. None of the other authors has a financial conflict of interest to report. J.M. is supported by a VA HSR&D Research Career Scientist Award (RCS 20-191). The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not represent an endorsement by or the official policy or position of the US Air Force, the US Army, the Defense Health Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the US government.
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