Narcolepsy and the military?
Not so fast.
It’s pretty common knowledge that narcolepsy is one of those medical conditions that will prevent you from enlisting–and could very likely lead to you being discharged from service.
But did you know that a number of sleep disorders can affect active servicemen and women?
Lack of adequate sleep while deployed, coupled with the stress, trauma, and potential for injury when out in the field, is a recipe for sleep and mental health disorders like:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Insomnia Disorder
- Delayed Sleep Phase Type
The trouble is that there’s a lot of confusion and murkiness when trying to diagnose and differentiate sleep disorders.
- Is the sleep problem connected to an underlying physical condition?
- How do you get to the root of the mental cause of sleep trouble?
- Which method do you use first, physical or mental?
A lot of this depends on who is seeing the person first, and it often involves deep collaboration between a therapist, physician, and sleep specialist.
So, if you think you, or someone you love, might be suffering from a sleep issue, take a look at this document, especially if either one of you are in the military.
It breaks down the different types of sleep disorders, their causes, and which ones are most commonly seen in military personnel. But if it’s a little over your head (I confess, some parts of it were hard for me to follow), bring it to your doctor or therapist and see what they have to say.
If they ignore it, chances are it’s a good time to make some personnel changes.
