Daytime sleep-wake function of the elderly

Abstract

In the past few years, systematic investigation of the causes of sleep problems and their relationship to excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue has made it clear that sleep disorders should more often than not be considered disorders of both sleeping and waking. Changes in sleep (whether caused by disease or the 'natural' changes of aging) can affect waking functions, and the altered waking (or daytime) functions of the elderly may, in their own right, affect nocturnal sleep. A survey is presented about the causal factors contributing to sleep disorders.