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Interactions between sleep normative data and sociocultural characteristics in the elderly
1Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3430 West Bayshore Road, Suite 102, Stanford, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA. mohayon@stanford.edu
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
|June 3, 2004
Summary
Sleep patterns in European elderly vary significantly by country. Both short and long sleep durations in older adults are linked to various sleep, mental health, and lifestyle issues.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Sleep patterns and duration are critical for elderly health.
- Understanding variations in sleep among older adults across different European countries is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sleep patterns in elderly individuals across seven European nations.
- To identify factors associated with short sleep, long nighttime sleep, and long daytime sleep in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted with 8091 noninstitutionalized individuals aged 55-101 years.
- Participants represented the general population of France, Finland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK.
- Data collected included sleep habits, sleep disorders, and lifestyle factors.
Main Results:
- Average sleep duration was 6 hours and 57 minutes, with men sleeping longer than women.
- Short sleep (<5 hours) was associated with age, living in the UK, lack of exercise, high coffee intake, sleep medication use, sleep difficulties, and anxiety.
- Long sleep (>9 hours) was linked to age, living in France/Portugal/Spain, being underweight, lack of exercise, disrupted sleep, sleep medication, and anxiety.
- Long daytime sleep was associated with age, male sex, overweight/obesity, physical disease, social dissatisfaction, smoking, alcohol consumption, and depression.
Conclusions:
- Significant variations in sleep patterns exist among elderly populations across European countries.
- Both extremely short and long sleep durations in older adults are associated with numerous sleep disturbances, mental health conditions, and lifestyle factors.