Sleep Problems Plague the Older Set

Sleep Problems Plague the Older Set
FRIDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Older Americans often havedifficulty getting a good night's rest. It's a huge quality-of-lifeproblem, experts say, because contrary to popular belief, seniors requireabout the same amount of sleep as younger adults.
"Sleep problems and sleep disorders are not an inherent part of aging,"said Dr. Harrison G. Bloom, a senior associate at the InternationalLongevity Center-USA and associate clinical professor of geriatrics andmedicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "It'spretty much of a myth that older people need less sleep than youngerpeople."
Yet, in a study published recently in The American Journal ofMedicine, researchers found that more than half of older Americanshave problems getting the shuteye they need.
Older people tend to have "sleep fragmentation," meaning they wake upmore often during the night, said study author Dr. Julie Gammack, anassistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine atSt. Louis University.
They also seem to get less "REM" sleep, the type of sleep during whichrapid eye movement occurs, Bloom added.
It's unclear what role these naturally occurring changes in sleeppatterns have on a person's quality of life, Bloom said. "What isimportant, though, is that older people often have actual sleep disordersand problems with sleep," he said.
And, experts say, there is usually more than one cause.
"Sleep disturbance in older adults is typically associated with acuteand chronic illnesses, including specific sleep disorders like sleep apneaand restless leg syndrome that appear with greater frequency in olderpopulations," said Michael V. Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry andbehavioral sciences and associate director of the University ofWashington's Northwest Geriatric Education Center.
As people age, they typically develop more diseases and suffer fromaches and pains. "These things can disrupt sleep, so what they mayperceive as a sleep disorder may actually relate to the effects of some oftheir other medical problems," Gammack noted.
Taking multiple medications, as many older people do, can also lead tofatigue and "hypersomnia," or being tired all the time, Bloom added.
Another big problem, he noted, is depression and anxiety. "Those arevery commonly associated with sleep problems."
Despite the prevalence of sleep difficulties in older adults, manypatients aren't getting the help they need.
"The average physician receives very little training about sleepdisorders and typically does not routinely screen patients for them," saidVitiello, who serves on the board of directors of the National SleepFoundation. This may be due to a lack of time or training or the beliefthat there is little that can be done to improve sleep, he explained.
As a result, problems like insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apneaand circadian rhythm disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated, Bloomsaid.
To rectify the problem, a national coalition of aging, geriatricmedicine and sleep organizations is currently developing guidelines topromote prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sleep problems in olderadults. The National Coalition for Sleep Disorders in Older People expectsto publish its recommendations by mid-2008.
"The reason we're concerned with these [problems], besides a majorissue on quality of life and being tired the next day and not functioningproperly, is that these sleep disorders are associated with hypertension,diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart disease, depression and anxiety," saidBloom, chairman of coalition's expert task force.
A cause-and-effect relationship has yet to be established between sleepdisorders and these chronic health problems, but Bloom suspects they atleast contribute to each other. And he believes a causal relationship maybe found in years to come.
"This is very, very much a tip-of-the-iceberg problem," he said.
More information
For tips on better sleep, visit the National SleepFoundation.