BOSTON (EGMN) – Sleep disturbances may be an important target for treating posttraumatic stress disorder, according to Dr. R. Bruce Lydiard of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Persistent, severe posttraumatic nightmares, REM sleep fragmentation, insomnia, excessive nocturnal periodic limb movements, and sleep-disordered breathing are frequently experienced by individuals with PTSD, Dr. Lydiard said. Although these sleep problems are often viewed as secondary symptoms of PTSD, “the evidence suggests that after a traumatic event, sleep disruption appears before the onset of PTSD and may be a risk factor for it,” he proposed at a Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy conference on the complexities and challenges of PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
