Sleep and aging: 1. Sleep disorders commonly found in older people
Open Access
- 24 April 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by CMA Impact Inc. in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal
- Vol. 176 (9), 1299-1304
- https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.060792
Abstract
Aging is associated with several well-described changes in patterns of sleep. Typically, there is a phase advance in the normal circadian sleep cycle: older people tend to go to sleep earlier in the evening but also to wake earlier. They may also wake more frequently during the night and experience fragmented sleep. The prevalence of many sleep disorders increases with age. Insomnia, whether primary or secondary to coexistant illness or medication use, is very common among elderly people. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder and narcolepsy, although less common, are frequently not considered for this population. Periodic leg-movement disorder, a frequent cause of interrupted sleep, can be easily diagnosed with electromyography during nocturnal polysomnography. Restless legs syndrome, however, is diagnosed clinically. Snoring is a common sleep-related respiratory disorder; so is obstructive sleep apnea, which is increasingly seen among older people and is significantly associated with cardio-and cerebrovascular disease as well as cognitive impairment.Keywords
This publication has 45 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Multiple Sleep Latency Test in the Diagnosis of NarcolepsyAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2005
- Symptoms of sleep disturbance in persons with Alzheimer's disease and normal elderlyJournal of Sleep Research, 2005
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular DiseaseMayo Clinic Proceedings, 2004
- Epidemiology and clinical features of sleep disorders in extrapyramidal diseaseSleep Medicine, 2004
- Narcolepsy in the Older AdultDrugs & Aging, 2003
- Restless Legs Syndrome in the Older AdultDrugs & Aging, 2002
- Restless Legs SyndromeSpinal Cord, 2001
- Reproductive Hormones, Aging, and SleepSeminars in Reproductive Medicine, 1999
- Tongue Strength and Endurance in Different Aged IndividualsThe Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 1996
- NARCOLEPSY IN THE ELDERLY: A FORGOTTEN DIAGNOSISAge and Ageing, 1987