title: Sleep quality of German soldiers before, during and after deployment in Afghanistan-a prospective study.
abstract: In this prospective study, subjective sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness prior to, during and after deployment of German soldiers in Afghanistan were examined. Sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale; ESS) were assessed in 118 soldiers of the German army, who were deployed in Afghanistan for 6 months (deployment group: DG) and in 146 soldiers of a non-deployed control group (CG) at baseline. Results of the longitudinal analysis are reported, based on assessments conducted prior to, during the deployment and afterwards in the DG, and in the CG in parallel. Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in the DG were already impaired during the predeployment training phase and remained at that level during the deployment phase, which clearly indicates the need for more attention on sleep in young soldiers, already at this early stage. The percentage of impaired sleepers decreased significantly after deployment. Programmes to teach techniques to improve sleep and reduce stress should be implemented prior to deployment to reduce sleep difficulties and excessive daytime sleepiness and subsequent psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Danker-Hopfe
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9064-2773
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Office, Applied Military Psychology and Research Division, c/o University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Fachklinikum Teupitz, Teupitz, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Fachklinikum Lübben, Lübben, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kropp
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte - Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ströhle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wesemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: early intervention; mental disorders; military deployment; prevention; psychological disorders; sleep disturbances