Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
08:20
Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
Association between nighttime sleep and napping in older adults
Suzanne E Goldman1, Martica Hall, Robert Boudreau
1Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Suzanne.e.goldman@vanderbilt.edu
Sleep
|June 4, 2008
Summary
Older adults with fragmented nighttime sleep were more likely to nap during the day. However, the duration or fragmentation of previous night sleep did not influence nap duration.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Napping in older adults may signal underlying nighttime sleep disturbances.
- The precise relationship between nighttime sleep quality and daytime napping requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between nighttime sleep duration and fragmentation with daytime sleep patterns in older adults.
- To explore factors influencing the likelihood and duration of napping in the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 235 older adults (mean age 80.1 years).
- Nighttime and daytime sleep were objectively measured using wrist actigraphy and sleep diaries over approximately 7 nights.
- Logistic regression and mixed-effects models analyzed the relationship between sleep parameters and napping, adjusting for various health and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- 75.7% of participants reported napping.
- Increased nighttime sleep fragmentation was associated with a higher likelihood of napping (Odds Ratio: 2.1).
- Conditions like respiratory symptoms, diabetes, and pain also increased the odds of napping.
- Nap duration was not associated with the previous night's sleep duration or fragmentation.
Conclusions:
- Sleep fragmentation, rather than total sleep duration, is linked to an increased propensity for daytime napping in older adults.
- The findings suggest a potential role for sleep fragmentation in daytime sleepiness, warranting further investigation into causal links.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Understanding Sleep
Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:18Nightmares and Night Terrors
Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares often...
Nightmares often...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:07Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.