BVA decisions by condition
Sleep disturbances: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a sleep disturbances issue in 561 decisions. It granted the sleep disturbances issue in 12.7% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 35.7%, and remanded it in 48.7%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 26.2% were granted.
Decisions
561
2018–2026
Granted
12.7%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
26.2%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
48.7%
Denied: 35.7%
Sleep disturbances outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 57 | 3.5% | 35.1% | 59.6% |
| 2020 | 59 | 6.8% | 57.6% | 33.9% |
| 2021 | 66 | 19.7% | 33.3% | 43.9% |
| 2022 | 52 | 5.8% | 34.6% | 53.8% |
| 2023 | 58 | 19.0% | 31.0% | 44.8% |
| 2024 | 95 | 17.9% | 26.3% | 53.7% |
| 2025 | 111 | 9.9% | 35.1% | 52.3% |
Evidence in granted and denied sleep disturbances decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the sleep disturbances issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed as secondary | 175 | 51.8% | 14.5% | +37.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 95 | 46.0% | 20.2% | +25.8 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 105 | 45.1% | 19.5% | +25.6 pts |
| Combat service | 60 | 28.6% | 25.9% | +2.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 149 | 23.5% | 27.4% | −3.9 pts |
| Lay statement | 492 | 24.8% | 42.9% | −18.1 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.2% of the decisions that granted sleep disturbances.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 28.2% of grants and 15.0% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often sleep disturbances was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 301 | 22.2% | 32.1% | −9.9 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 444 | 23.1% | 45.9% | −22.9 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied sleep disturbances
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability8
- Current diagnosis established5
- Service connection established4
- VA examiner opinion found persuasive2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis36
- Service records negative or silent16
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis14
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim10
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service6
- Separate rating would constitute impermissible pyramiding3
- Criteria for service connection not met3
- Failure to report for VA examination2
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent sleep disturbances decisions
Granted
Private medical opinion persuasive; Tinnitus proximate cause of insomnia; Secondary to service-connected tinnitus
Competent and credible lay evidence supports onset during service.; Evidence in approximate balance regarding onset during service.; Benefit of the doubt afforded to the Veteran.
Evidence in relative equipoise; Reasonable doubt resolved in veteran's favor; Favorable November 2024 VA opinion linking insomnia to deployment stress
Denied
No diagnosis or treatment for sleep apnea; Sleep disturbances claimed secondary to non-service-connected PTSD; Counselor's opinion not probative; No current disability demonstrated
Insufficient evidence; No in-service event identified; No nexus to service or service-connected disability
No current sleep disturbance disability established; Service records silent on sleep issues; VA examiner found no DSM-5 criteria met for insomnia disorder
Rules that apply to sleep disturbances claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your sleep disturbances case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a sleep disturbances issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.