Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

High-Throughput Small Molecule Drug Screening For Age-Related Sleep Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: October 20, 2023
Sleep patterns, sleep disturbances and sleepiness in retired Iranian elders
Seyed Kazem Malakouti1, Mahshid Foroughan, Marzieh Nojomi
1Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. kmalakouti@iums.ac.ir
Objectives:
Complaints of sleep disturbance increase with age and many studies have reported on the relationship of sleep problems to the greater use of health services, physical and mental morbidity, functional decline, and all causes of mortality. This study aimed to examine sleep patterns and sleep disturbances in Iranian elders and correlate their sleep quality to their health status.
Methods:
Four hundred men and women, aged 60 years or older, were interviewed by trained interviewers regarding their physical and mental health status. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were then administered to each participant. The data gathered were analyzed using chi(2)-test, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression.
Results:
The results indicated that the majority of participants (82.6%) suffered from poor sleep quality and approximately one-third (29.2%) experienced sleepiness during the daytime. Difficulty falling asleep (p < or = 0.001) and maintaining sleep (p < or = 0.01) and the feeling of being too hot at night (p < or = 0.005) were significantly more prevalent in women, but men suffered more from leg twitching (p < or = 0.01). Being female (OR = 2.52), and having GHQ scores of more than 11 (OR = 4.14) increased the risk of poor sleep quality considerably.
Conclusion:
Promoting sleep hygiene education of elders in primary health care services are recommended.
Related Concept Videos
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Management of Insomnia
Understanding Sleep
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...
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
