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Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of the Literature

  • Sleep Disorders (P Gehrman, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Sleep disturbances are among the most commonly endorsed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment modalities that are effective for the waking symptoms of PTSD may have limited efficacy for post-traumatic sleep problems. The aim of this review is to summarize the evidence for empirically supported and/or utilized psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments for post-traumatic nightmares and insomnia. While there are few controlled studies of the applicability of general sleep-focused interventions to the management of the sleep disturbances in PTSD, evidence is growing to support several psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments. Future investigations should include trials that combine treatments focused on sleep with treatments effective in managing the waking symptoms of PTSD.

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Acknowledgments

This material is the result of work supported by a National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship to a T32 to Dr. Allan Pack from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant number HL07713). The opinions expressed in this article do not represent those of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government.

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Conflict of Interest

Janeese A. Brownlow, Gerlinde C. Harb, and Richard J. Ross declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Janeese A. Brownlow & Richard J. Ross

  2. Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Janeese A. Brownlow, Gerlinde C. Harb & Richard J. Ross

  3. Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Janeese A. Brownlow

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  1. Janeese A. Brownlow
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Correspondence to Janeese A. Brownlow.

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Brownlow, J.A., Harb, G.C. & Ross, R.J. Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of the Literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep 17, 41 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0587-8

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