Yawning and subjective sleepiness in the elderly

Yawning is related to sleep/wake transitions and time of day, probably reflecting the time course of sleepiness. As aging modifies sleep-wake and sleepiness rhythms, we suppose that yawning frequency and its time course vary as a function of age. Thirteen aged healthy subjects (77.15 +/- 4.09 years) and 12 young adults (24.41 +/- 3.31 years) were instructed to keep their habitual sleep schedules for three consecutive work-days, during which they were required to signal every yawning occurrence and to evaluate hourly their sleepiness level. Results showed that aged subjects yawn less frequently than young adults, particularly during morning and mid-afternoon hours. The time course of yawning was different between the two age groups: aged subjects showed earlier morning peak and evening rise compared with young adults; in addition, aged subjects showed two minor peaks in-between. Differences as a function of age in the time course of yawning were associated with differences in the time course of sleepiness. The only exception pertained to the early morning yawning peak, which was close to the awakening but it was not associated with high sleepiness in aged subjects. Our study discloses that aging modifies yawning frequency and its time course. Furthermore, as in the elderly yawning after the awakening is not associated with high sleepiness level as in young adult, we put forward that sleepiness level and the proximity of sleep/wake transitions could separately affect yawning.