Irregular sleep-wake patterns in older adults with current or remitted depression

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Poor sleep and irregular sleep-wake patterns are linked to adverse outcomes in older adults.
• Sleep regularity has not been previously investigated in individuals with current or remitted major depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine sleep regularity and rest-activity patterns in older adults with current or remitted major depression.
• To compare these patterns with those of healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• 138 older adults (current depression, remitted depression, healthy controls) underwent wrist-worn actigraphy.
• Key metrics included the Sleep Regularity Index (SRI), sleep-wake fragmentation, stability, timing, awakenings, and cosinor analysis.

Main Results:

• Current depression was associated with lower SRI and relative amplitude, and increased nighttime activity.
• Remitted depression showed reduced daytime activity and lower average activity/amplitude compared to controls.
• No significant differences were found in total sleep time, sleep timing, or number of awakenings between groups.

Conclusions:

• Older adults with current or remitted depression exhibit altered sleep regularity and rest-activity patterns, despite similar traditional sleep metrics.
• Self-reported poor sleep quality is prevalent in these groups.
• Interventions targeting sleep regularity and physical activity may mitigate risks associated with depression in older adults.