ABSTRACT
Sleep disorders are estimated to affect more than 50% of community-dwelling elderly and more than 65% of institutionalized elderly.1 Older individuals with sleep disorders may complain of waking tired, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining wakefulness during the day, or abnormal behavior associated with sleep. Although sleep requirements do not decrease with advancing age, older adults are less able to sleep.2 Individuals with sleep disorders may complain of difficulty sustaining attention, slowed response time, difficulty with memory, and decreased performance. Many sleep disturbances in the elderly remain undiagnosed and untreated as they are mistakenly attributed to aging.1
Epidemiologic studies of older adults found an association between sleep complaint and the presence of chronic illness, mood disturbances, decreased physical activity, and physical disability.3-5 Older women are more likely than older men to report sleep complaints.6
