PTSD and Sleep

PTSD is unique among mental health disorders in that sleep problems represent two of the diagnostic criteria of the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); recurrent nightmares are part of the intrusion cluster of symptoms, and insomnia is a component of the arousal cluster. While these sleep problems are symptoms of PTSD, the evidence suggests that they tend to become independent problems over time, warranting sleepfocused assessment and treatment. Further, it has been argued that the sleep disturbance plays a critical role in the maintenance of PTSD and is a hallmark of the disorder (Ross, Ball, Sullivan, & Caroff, 1989). Fortunately, efficacious treatment options, both medications and forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy, exist.