0140 Examining The Effects Of Moderate Blast Exposure On Sleep: Observations From Specialized Military Training Exercises. (27th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pattinson, C L; Gill, J M; Doty, T J; Carr, W S
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 41(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A54
• Page End: A55
• Publication Date: 2018-04-27
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsy061.139
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Sleep disruption is prevalent among active military personnel. For some, there is the added environmental stressor of repetitive, low-level blast exposures. Though there are subjective reports that blasts affect sleep, objective measurement is lacking. In this observational study, we examined sleep across 2-week military training with exposure to blast. Across all training days blast intensity was low (<2psi), except for a single day, Day 7 (peak pressure M=7.99psi, SD=1.66). As such, we predicted that sleep would be acutely fragmented and shortened following that moderate blast exposure. Methods: Participants were 31 males, aged 25–42 years. Sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time (TST) were measured using wrist-worn actigraphy. Peak intensity of blast exposure was captured daily via helmet-mounted pressure sensors. Training Day 5 was selected as baseline as participants were not exposed to blast training or night operations. Pairwise comparisons t-test (TST) and Wilcoxon matched-pairs (SE) were run to compare sleep at baseline to the training days (6–10). Results: TST was consistently short (daily M≤6hours) and there were no significant differences in TST between the training days. Although SE was significantly different between Day 5 and Day 8 (reflecting sleep following blast on Day 7), this reduction in sleep efficiency did not seem to reflect an acute effect of blast, but a more general decline in SE observed between baseline and Days 7, 8, 9, and 10 (p<.05). Conclusion: TST was consistently short (daily M≤6hours) and there were no significant differences in TST between the training days. Although SE was significantly different between Day 5 and Day 8 (reflecting sleep following blast on Day 7), this reduction in sleep efficiency did not seem to reflect an acute effect of blast, but a more general decline in SE observed between baseline and Days 7, 8, 9, and 10 (p<.05). Support (If Any): This work was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and federal institutional resources of the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health.