0165 Prevalence of insomnia and/or obstructive sleep apnea in a sample of fit-for-duty U.S. Navy sailors

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia are prevalent sleep disorders, known to negatively impact sleep and well-being in civilian populations. Studies of these sleep disorders in military populations have focused on individuals seeking treatment for a sleep disorder, rather than the general active-duty service member (ADSM). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of OSA and insomnia in U.S. Navy sailors serving on surface ships. Methods We analyzed pre-collected data from 548 fit-for-duty sailors (MD age=25 years, IQR=9; 79.4% males) serving on nine US Navy surface ships. Sailors reported their demographic information, health-related habits, and whether they had been diagnosed with OSA and/or insomnia. Sleep was assessed with wrist-worn actigraphy (371 sailors). Results Approximately 66.8% of sailors reported having an exercise routine, 83.6% reported drinking caffeinated beverages, and 29.1% used nicotine products. In terms of disorders, 15 (2.7%) male sailors reported having been diagnosed with OSA, 12 (2.2%) with insomnia (8 males, 4 females), and one (0.2%) male sailor with comorbid insomnia and OSA. Compared to sailors without a sleep disorder, sailors with OSA were older (MD=34 years, IQR=7; p<0.001) and had a higher proportion of nicotine users (53.3%) (p=0.041). Sailors with insomnia did not differ from sailors with no sleep disorder in terms of demographics and habits. The average daily sleep duration was 6.4±1.0 hours, which did not differ between disorder groups. However, sailors with insomnia had more sleep episodes per day (MD=1.7; IQR=0.9) than sailors without a sleep disorder (MD=1.3, IQR=0.5; p=0.042). Conclusion Only ~5% of the sailors in our study reported a diagnosis of OSA and/or insomnia, whereas one in three people in the general population has a sleep disorder. Notably, all sailors, regardless of sleep disorder diagnosis, exhibited short sleep durations. Previous studies of ADSMs found that ~48% reported poor enough sleep quality to meet the diagnostic criteria for a sleep disorder. Thus, our results suggest that, despite evidence that many Sailors exhibited sleep problems, sleep disorders are significantly underdiagnosed in ADSMs. Support (If Any) This work was supported in part by the Naval Medical Research Center's Naval Advanced Medical Development Program (MIPR N3239820WXHN007).