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Learn how PTSD and sleep apnea can worsen each other and how Veterans may qualify for VA benefits for sleep apnea secondary to service-connected PTSD.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can arise after an individual experiences incredibly stressful or traumatic event.1 Although individuals can experience a wide variety of events that give rise to the development of PTSD, the symptoms of the condition typically manifest with intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, or changes in physical and emotional reactions.
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes an individual to stop and start breathing several times while they are asleep.2 While there are several types of sleep apnea, the most common is obstructive sleep apnea which occurs when muscles in the mouth and throat relax and close the airway, resulting in a narrowing of the throat which blocks the flow of air into the lungs. Sleep apnea can cause an individual to wake up multiple times throughout the night, impacting their ability to achieve deep, restful sleep.
Medical research shows a significant relationship between PTSD and sleep apnea.3 4 The conditions often occur together and exacerbate the symptoms of the other. The National Center for PTSD has found that nearly everyone who has PTSD experiences trouble sleeping.5
Inadequate sleep can make coping with PTSD symptoms harder. Similarly, PTSD symptoms can result in heightened sensitivity to mild obstructive events and increased waking frequency.6 Fragmented sleep and sleep deprivation have also been shown to increase airway collapse.7 Airway collapse and loss of oxygen is a known cause of sleep apnea.
Ultimately, PTSD can make sleep apnea worse, and sleep apnea can make PTSD worse. PTSD symptoms can increase the severity of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea reduces restful sleep hours, making it more difficult to cope with the stresses of PTSD. This toxic cycle can often result in more severe symptoms of both PTSD and sleep apnea. Individuals with both PTSD and sleep apnea experience worse symptoms of both disorders than individuals suffering from only one.
The theory of secondary service connection may be reasonably raised in instances in which the evidence suggests that a service-connected condition contributes to the creation of a new disability and where a service-connected disability aggravates (worsens) a non-service-connected condition. See Allen v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 439, 449 (1995).
As PTSD has been shown to worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea, a theory of secondary service connection may be appropriate in situations where an individual has a diagnosis of sleep apnea and is service connected for PTSD.
Because PTSD and sleep apnea are comorbidities, they often are diagnosed together. If you are service connected for PTSD and have difficulty sleeping, restless nights, or daytime exhaustion, you may be entitled to service connection to sleep apnea through a theory of secondary service connection. These cases require medical evidence that explains the connection.
While the VA generally requires the results of an official sleep study prior to granting service connection, if you have trouble sleeping, experience restless nights, or daytime exhaustion, Berry Law can assist you in determining whether you have a claim.
Berry Law’s experienced VA-accredited attorneys can help you file a claim for sleep apnea as a condition secondary to PTSD.
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