1035 EXPLORING DISRUPTED SLEEP IN A POPULATION OF OLDER ADULTS LIVING WITH HIV

Abstract

Introduction: Over 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and more than half are 50 years of age and older. Disrupted sleep negatively impacts this aging population. Aging is known to alter circadian and thermoregulatory mechanisms essential to regulating the sleep cycle, and HIV itself may speed the aging process, contributing to earlier onset, and increased prevalence of disrupted sleep. Poor sleep adversely affects medication adherence, quality of life, and survival, and contributes to daytime sleepiness and fatigue. The purpose of this study was to assess determinants of cognitive function. Methods: This data is from a randomized controlled pilot study examining cognitive function in older adults with HIV. Twenty‐four adults with HIV 50 years of age and older were recruited from an infectious disease clinic at a Midwestern University. Participants' mean age was 56.2 (SD = 5.15), with 14.3 years of education (SD = 1.80). The majority were male (88%), African American (67%), and had been living with HIV for 19.88 years (SD = 8.14). Instruments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results: Eighty‐eight percent of study participants were classified as poor sleepers (PSQI Global Score >5). Two‐thirds of participants reported sleep duration of less than 7 hours most nights over the last month. Nearly 60% experienced delayed sleep onset latency (>30 minutes to fall asleep). Sleep efficiency was also problematic with over half reporting sleep efficiency scores of <75% (total hours of sleep / total hours in bed). Global sleep scores were positively correlated with increased depressive symptoms (p = .001), as were the component scores of sleep quality (p = .001) and sleep disturbance (p = .017). Sleep duration had a positive significant correlation with cognitive function (p = .018). Conclusion: Sleep problems are negatively impacting a large segment of the older HIV population, and advances in HIV care have not included improved sleep for this aging population. Determining specific sleep issues adversely affecting this population is a necessary first step in developing non‐pharmacological interventions designed to improve sleep.