[Sleep disorders in older people. How do older people from Mexico City sleep?]

Good sleep is essential for physical and mental health throughout life. However, there are few reports describing the sleep problems experienced by communitydwelling older people.

To describe the prevalence of sleep disorders and their relationship with medical conditions in communitydwelling older people.

Cross-sectional study with 1678 older people (60 years and over) from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Mexico City. Sleep duration, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, insomnia and risk of obstructive sleep apnea were evaluated, alongside with sociodemographic variables and medical conditions.

Participants self-reported an average sleep duration of 6.04 (± 1.5) hours per night, approximately half had poor sleep quality (49.1%), and 2 out of 10 experienced daytime sleepiness (19.1%); one third had insomnia (30.8%) and risk of obstructive sleep apnea (27.5%). A pattern of higher prevalence of sleep problems was observed in older adults with depression, with cognitive impairment, with difficulties in basic activities of daily living and in those taking medications for the nervous system.

This study showed that older people sleep few hours, have low sleep quality, and have a high prevalence of sleep disorders. The identification and treatment of sleep disordes in older people should be a priority in the IMSS.