Insomnia Secondary to PTSD
Insomnia is a lesser-known symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. However, it can disrupt daily functioning as much as the more well-known symptoms, like flashbacks and intrusive thoughts. Even if you find relief from other symptoms of PTSD, the fatigue caused by insomnia often lingers and can affect every aspect of your life, including work, relationships, and your health.
Veterans with a VA disability rating for service-connected PTSD who develop insomnia as a secondary condition may seek increased compensation and benefits. In this guide, you will learn about the connection between PTSD and insomnia and what you need to know to file a successful claim for insomnia secondary to PTSD.
Is There a Connection Between Insomnia and PTSD?
Research has established a strong connection between PTSD and insomnia. It is a classic PTSD symptom that people rarely mention. It is one of two sleep disturbances associated with PTSD, with the other being chronic nightmares. The VA National Center for PTSD reports that 90% to 100% of Vietnam veterans diagnosed with PTSD also have insomnia. Insomnia is the most commonly reported PTSD symptom of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
When insomnia becomes chronic, the effects are so devastating that it becomes its own disorder. In this case, you may qualify for VA disability compensation if you can prove that service-connected PTSD is the reason it started.
How PTSD Triggers Sleep Problems
Sleep is elusive when you have PTSD for a variety of reasons. Nightmares make it feel unsafe to fall asleep. You may be startled by the slightest sound or experience anxiety from silence. You may lie awake for hours with your heart pounding and your mind racing.
Research confirms that many veterans seeking treatment for PTSD are successful in overcoming intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and other symptoms of PTSD, but not insomnia.
If this is your experience, you are not alone. The VA recognizes the horror of insomnia and its connection to PTSD. Even if your insomnia is not directly connected to your military service, it may be a rateable secondary condition if it developed due to your service-related PTSD.
How To Prove Your Insomnia Is Caused or Aggravated by PTSD
The VA will only approve a claim for insomnia secondary to PTSD if you show a clear medical link between PTSD and your sleep disorder. You will need to demonstrate that insomnia is more than just a symptom of PTSD. You will need medical records with a chronic insomnia diagnosis and doctor’s notes that trace it back to insomnia.
Medical Evidence of Insomnia
Your medical records will need to include the following to prove you have insomnia secondary to PTSD:
- A formal diagnosis of chronic insomnia
- Documentation of your insomnia complaints
- A sleep study showing sleep disturbances and patterns
- Records showing the medical treatment you have tried
- Psychiatric evaluations and psychological therapy records
- Test results ruling out physical causes of insomnia
- Detailed notes about the functional limitations caused by insomnia
Written Statements About the Impact of Insomnia
Document the sleep disruptions you experience and the daily struggles insomnia causes. Include detailed explanations about the following:
- The number of hours you sleep
- The length of time it typically takes you to fall asleep
- How often you awaken during the night
- Whether you use a CPAP machine or other medical device
- Thought patterns and anxiety you experience while trying to sleep
- Daytime fatigue and how it affects your daily activities
- Mental health effects of insomnia
- How insomnia affects your mood and state of mind
- Activities you cannot do because of insomnia, such as work, pay bills, or concentrate
Ask other people who are aware of your insomnia to write buddy letters. This could include a spouse, partner, friend, or clergy member.
A Nexus Letter
A medical nexus letter is a written opinion from a qualified professional that explains the link between your service-connected PTSD and insomnia. It should include a detailed timeline of how your insomnia developed as a symptom of PTSD and has progressed.
How Are Insomnia and PTSD Ratings Combined?
If the VA approves your secondary insomnia claim, you receive a separate disability rating, so you have one rating for PTSD and one for insomnia. This results in a higher overall rating.
However, the VA does not simply add your two ratings together to calculate your combined rating. Instead, the VA follows a “whole person theory,” acknowledging that you cannot be more than 100% disabled. Thus, your combined rating will be higher than your individual ratings, but lower than the sum of the two. Instead, the VA takes the ratings for each of your approved conditions and uses its combined rating table to calculate a combined rating.
For instance, suppose you have a 60% rating for PTSD, and the VA gives you a 20% rating for insomnia. Using the combined rating table, your overall rating comes to 68%, which VA rounds to the nearest 10%. This gives you a 70% combined rating.
Can the VA Deny Your Secondary Claim for Insomnia?
Yes, the VA may deny your secondary insomnia claim, but this isn’t the end of the road. Denials often happened because the VA didn’t see the exact type of evidence it considers proof of a secondary condition. The VA often denies secondary insomnia claims for lacking the following evidence:
- A formal insomnia diagnosis
- Medical nexus between insomnia and PTSD
- Detailed documentation showing the severity of insomnia and its effects
The VA’s timeline for processing insomnia claims varies based on where you live, how backed up your regional office is, and the complexity of your claim. Most take several months to process.
What to Do if the VA Denies Your Insomnia Claim
A denial can be discouraging, but don’t lose heart. You may be able to overturn the denial with the right evidence. At Veterans Guide, we connect you with experienced advocates who know exactly what type of evidence the VA needs to see. We can help you get a formal diagnosis and a strong medical nexus letter from a medical professional with experience documenting conditions for VA claims.
You don’t have to go through this alone. An experienced VA-accredited lawyer knows what the VA is looking for and can guide you through the appeals process step by step.
Veterans Guide Is Here to Help You Increase Your Rating
If you have a VA disability rating for PTSD and you’re dealing with insomnia, you may be entitled to an increased rating. At Veterans Guide, we help veterans access the benefits they’ve earned. We can connect you with knowledgeable and experienced advocates who can help you file an insomnia secondary to PTSD claim with the best chance of approval.
Contact us today, and take the first step to increase your disability rating.
Client Reviews
ANN WILLIAMS SHELLY DONNETT'E Want to Increase Your VA Rating?
