Experts tackle sleep problems afflicting veterans
Sleep and wakefulness issues are the most common health problems described by recently returned military personnel, according to a federal study. In a live Web chat to be held Tuesday on latimes.com, two experts from the Department of Veterans Affairs will explore the issue and answer your questions.
The Web chat is prompted by an article by Jia-Rui Chong -- with a video by Sachi Cunningham -- about a veteran who tries to stay awake as long as possible to delay the onset of nightmares. Here’s a scene they encountered in their reporting:
Korean War veteran Ray Metcalf approached two Marines -- one 22, the other 25 -- as they took drags on their cigarettes. Gently, Metcalf asked, "Do you have bad dreams?" Both young men nodded.
The three were attending a support meeting organized by the American Combat Veterans of War. Metcalf, 74, recounted a nightmare he had a few weeks ago about getting shot down in a helicopter in Korea. He woke his wife up with his screaming: "Oh God! Oh God!"
"Every time I have a nightmare," the 22-year-old said, "I just grab a gun and watch the front door. I’ll be watching the front door for two hours before I realize I’m there."
The print story will appear in Tuesday’s newspaper. The chat begins at noon Tuesday at www.latimes.com/sleepchat.
Participating will be Dr. Thomas C. Neylan, director of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Program at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Steve Woodward, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the VA’s National Center for PTSD in Palo Alto.
-- Steve Padilla
