Stability of EEG sleep and sleep quality in healthy seniors

When the electroencephalogram-recorded (EEG) sleep of 19 healthy seniors (9 men, 10 women) aged 60-82 years was restudied after an average interval of 2.2 years, most measures of EEG sleep and sleep quality were stable over time. Both elderly men and women showed more awakenings during the second recording series, but no change in visual or computer-scored delta activity. Furthermore, gender-dependent sleep changes were noted only in phasic rapid eye movement (REM) measures (increasing in men, decreasing in women). Reports of sleep quality were also stable over time despite the increase in awakenings, with women reporting a lower sleep quality than men.