Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep

Wilfred R Pigeon; Autumn M Gallegos

doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.010

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep

Sleep Med Clin. 2015 Mar;10(1):41-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.010. Epub 2014 Dec 15.

Authors

Wilfred R Pigeon¹, Autumn M Gallegos²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Road, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse VA Medical Center, 800 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. Electronic address: Wilfred_Pigeon@urmc.rochester.edu.
² Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Road, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.

PMID: 26055672
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.010

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of sleep in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and focus on the treatment of the most common sleep disorders encountered by patients with PTSD: insomnia and nightmares. The effects of the standard treatments for PTSD are discussed along with a review of available treatments for insomnia and nightmares. Particular emphasis is placed on nonpharmacologic treatments for these sleep disorders and how they may be adapted for delivery to patients with PTSD.

Keywords: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia; Insomnia; Posttraumatic stress disorder.

Published by Elsevier Inc.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Sleep Wake Disorders / physiopathology*
Sleep Wake Disorders / therapy*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / physiopathology*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy*