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Updated: Mar 21, 2026
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Multi-Modal Home Sleep Monitoring in Older Adults
Published on: January 26, 2019
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Rest-Activity Rhythms and Cognition in Older Adults With and Without Insomnia
Miranda G Chappel-Farley1, Zhiwei Zhao2, Christine W Johnston3
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Journal of Sleep Research
|March 20, 2026
Summary
Older adults with insomnia show disrupted rest-activity rhythms, but cognition is not significantly different between groups. Improved rest-activity rhythms may benefit attention in older adults, regardless of insomnia status.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Medicine
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Insomnia is linked to cognitive deficits, yet findings are inconsistent.
- Disrupted rest-activity rhythms may be a key factor in cognitive impairments associated with insomnia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in rest-activity rhythms and cognition between older adults with and without insomnia.
- To determine if rest-activity rhythms predict cognitive performance across multiple domains.
Main Methods:
- A remote cognitive battery assessed attention, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and episodic memory.
- Rest-activity rhythms were analyzed in older adults with (n=30) and without insomnia (n=33).
Main Results:
- Older adults with insomnia exhibited less robust rest-activity rhythms compared to controls.
- No significant differences in overall cognitive performance were found between the groups.
- Better attention was associated with more regular rest-activity rhythms, irrespective of insomnia diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- Insomnia in older adults is characterized by disrupted rest-activity rhythms, not necessarily by broad cognitive deficits.
- Improving rest-activity rhythm regularity could be a target for enhancing attention in older adults, including those with insomnia.
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