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Multi-Modal Home Sleep Monitoring in Older Adults
Published on: January 26, 2019
Does social support differentially affect sleep in older adults with versus without insomnia?
Wendy M Troxel1, Daniel J Buysse, Timothy H Monk
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. troxelw@msx.upmc.edu
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
|October 20, 2010
Summary
Social support benefits sleep in older adults, including those with insomnia. Higher social support is linked to reduced wakefulness after sleep onset and shorter sleep latency in individuals with insomnia.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Medicine
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Insomnia is a prevalent public health issue, disproportionately affecting older adults.
- Social support is explored as a potential factor influencing sleep health in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of social support in sleep among older adults with and without insomnia.
- To determine if social support moderates sleep-wake characteristics in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Compared older adults with insomnia (n=79) to controls without insomnia (n=40).
- Assessed perceived social support, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and napping via questionnaires and diaries.
- Utilized wrist actigraphy for objective sleep continuity measures (sleep latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, total sleep time).
Main Results:
- The insomnia group exhibited poorer subjective sleep quality and shorter total sleep time compared to controls.
- Increased social support correlated with reduced wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) in both groups.
- A significant interaction indicated higher social support was most effective in reducing sleep latency for individuals with insomnia.
Conclusions:
- Social support demonstrates a beneficial effect on sleep regulation in older adults.
- Findings suggest social support may play a comparable role in improving sleep for individuals with and without insomnia.
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