Sleep-wake dynamics in veteran-service dog dyads: an exploration of overnight concordance.

Abstract

Study objectives: Sleep disturbances are well-documented for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increasingly, veterans are turning to service dogs for assistance. Service dogs may positively influence veteran sleep. However, there is a need for research that considers bidirectional sleep interactions at the dyad level. Our objective was to investigate overnight sleep-wake dynamics in veteran-service dog dyads.

Methods: Fifty-six veteran-service dog dyads contributed data for analysis. Standardized questionnaires were captured at baseline (veteran wellbeing, prior to service dog partnering) and at 3-months follow-up (dyad bond and wellbeing). Fourteen days of actigraphy (1 minute-epochs) and ecological momentary assessment (twice-daily) were collected at follow-up. We calculated sleep-wake concordance (percent agreement; 0 to 100%) and activity concordance (Stuart-Kendall Tau-c; -1.0 to 1.0) from 650 nights of actigraphy data, including 289 749 minute-level observations.

Results: Based on a nightly average, veteran-service dog dyads had 79% sleep-wake concordance (range 63% to 88%) and 0.04 activity concordance (range -0.02 to 0.15). Service dogs exhibited higher sensitivity to veteran wakefulness (28%; range 9 to 82%) than veterans to service dogs (11%; range 4 to 21%). Regression analyses found no consistent relationships between concordance and measures of veteran-service dog bond or wellbeing.

Conclusions: Veteran-service dog dyads demonstrate sleep-wake concordance rates comparable to those reported in other close relationships (e.g., mother-infant, couples), and service dogs appear more sensitive to veteran wakefulness than the other way around. This novel investigation offers a framework for future research on human-service dog overnight dynamics, emphasizing the mutual attunement of veterans and their service dogs.