Comparison of Subjective Sleep Quality in Chemical Warfare Victims and Controls

Objectives. With respect to the effect of sleep quality on the performance and quality of life in the humanbeing,thisstudy was conducted to compare the subjective sleep quality of chemical warfare victims and healthy controls. Materials and methods. Sleep Quality of 78 chemical warfare victims was compared with that of 65 healthy controls by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The two groups were matched in age and sex. Results. Seventy-three chemical warfare victims (93%) and 39 controls (60%) reported poor sleep (p=0.001). Relative frequency of impairment in such components as sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction was higher in the chemical warfare victims when compared with that in the controls (p<0.05). Mean time interval between going to bed and falling asleep was longer in the chemical warfare victims (46 ± 31 min.) than that in the controls (32.30 ± 32.17 min.) (p=0.01). (Clin. Exp. Med. Lett. 2006; 47(2):89-93)

Keywords: Sleep, sleep quality, chemical warfare veterans, Pittsburgh