Two Contrasting Interventions for Sleep Management

Sleep disturbance in active duty military personnel is highly prevalent and contributes to
reduced performance of military duties. Under extreme conditions, army personnel could
endanger themselves and their comrades. Increasingly, non-pharmacological treatments for
insomnia are showing promise as complementary and alternative medicine treatments. Many of
these awareness training programs (ATPs) perform as well as, or even better than,
medications. This study will determine whether Mind-Body Bridging (MBB), an ATP that teaches
awareness/mindfulness and cognitive skills, is more effective than a common sleep
medication, Zolpidem. The study will also determine whether MBB exhibits additional benefits
in co-morbid mental health conditions, including, stress, PTSD, depression, etc, compared
with that of Zolpidem. This will offer soldiers additional treatment options for insomnia in
the hope that it will improve both sleep and other common comorbidities.

Inclusion Criteria:

- primary insomnia

- secondary insomnia

- requiring sleep medication (Zolpidem) for a three-week trial.

- active duty military service member stationed at Fort Carson.

Exclusion Criteria:

- secondary insomnia to a likely medical condition, such as sleep apnea, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, restless leg syndrome, and other sleep disorders,
which are not appropriately treatable with sleep medication.

- treated for sleep problems using sleep medications which include Lunesta, Ambien,
Ambien Controlled Release (CR), Seroquel, Trazodone or Remeron

- major psychopathology (i.e., schizophrenia)

- severe depression within the past 90 days

- suicidal ideation within the past 90 days

- psychiatrically hospitalized within the past 90 days

- uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes

- pregnancy

- previous use of Zolpidem proved to be ineffective or to cause other unwanted side
effects

- actively abusing controlled substances

- enrolled in another study