Mental health education
Insomnia, PTSD, and depression
Sleep trouble may be a symptom, a separate disorder, or both. The answer depends on the full sleep history and other possible causes.
01 / KNOW THIS FIRST
02 / WHAT IT MEANS
INSOMNIA, IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Insomnia means ongoing trouble sleeping even when there is time and a place to sleep.
A person may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. The sleep trouble also causes daytime problems. A few bad nights do not always mean insomnia disorder.
THREE HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES
Veteran Field
Lies awake for two hours most nights and is too tired to focus the next day.
Veteran Garland
Wakes from PTSD nightmares, then cannot return to sleep.
Veteran Hoffman
Snores, gasps, and feels tired all day. A sleep-breathing problem may also need review.
03 / HOW A PSYCHOLOGIST THINKS ABOUT IT
What does the sleep pattern look like?
The clinician asks when the problem began, what happens at night, and how poor sleep affects the next day.
What else could explain it?
Sleep apnea, pain, tinnitus, medicine, alcohol, shift work, and other health problems may affect sleep. These facts do not cancel a claim. They help define the right clinical question.
Cause is not the same as worsening.
One condition may start the sleep problem. Another may make it worse. A clear opinion should say which question it answers.
04 / WHAT TREATMENT MAY LOOK LIKE
05 / KEEP LEARNING