Sleep and quality of life in older people

Abstract

Sleep disturbance is common with advancing age due to age-related changes in sleep and an increased prevalence of certain sleep disorders, in addition to health conditions, psychosocial issues, medication effects and a variety of other factors that impact sleep. The evidence that insomnia and other sleep problems have negative effects on health and quality of life (QOL) across the lifespan is convincing, and data suggest that this relationship is even stronger as people age. Several population-based studies have demonstrated an association between impaired sleep and worse performance on global measures and specific individual domains of QOL in the older adult. In addition, among older people, excessive daytime sleeping may be associated with an increased risk in mortality and morbidity and increased risk of falls. With advanced age, sleep disturbance is also associated with declines in functional status and social functioning, in addition to memory and other cognitive impairments. There is also evidence that sleeping problems can interfere with an older person's ability to carry out healthy and stable relationships with their spouse, other family and friends, which likely further impairs their QOL. In general, people with sleep disturbances have poor health-related self-perception, which may be related to inability to cope with daily activities. Taken together, research evidence is convincing among older adults that the cumulative effects of sleep disturbance can significantly impair their well-being and QOL. © 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ.