 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
By Kirsten Houmann, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Older adults who care for a loved one with dementia may need to focus more on caring for themselves. A new study shows these caregivers sleep a lot less than other older adults.
Text Continues Below
Researchers found older adult caregivers slept for an average of about 6.5 hours per night -- 33 minutes less than non-caregivers.
Although about 50 percent of individuals with dementia wake up during the night, surprising results show this was not as big of a factor in caregiver sleep loss as trouble falling asleep. Results show caregivers took an average of 10 minutes longer to fall asleep than other older adults -- adding up to a total of almost 23 minutes of lost shut-eye. Researchers say this tendency is consistent with some psychological effects of caring for someone with dementia.
We were able to identify a tremendous amount of caregiver worry and concern, and probably that worry affects their ability to fall asleep quickly, Meredith Rowe, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor of nursing at the University of Florida, told Ivanhoe.
Older adult caregivers also had more variable night-to-night sleep patterns, higher scores of daytime sleepiness and higher levels of depression. In addition, they reported lower subjective sleep quality.
Dr. Rowe cautions against ignoring caregivers complaints about sleep problems.
One of the primary predictors of institutional placement of persons with dementia is inadequate sleep in the caregiver, she said. In order to prevent early institutional placement of the person with dementia its going to be critical to make sure that any possible measures that can improve the caregivers sleep are implemented.
These measures include discouraging napping and encouraging physical activity in adults with dementia.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Meredith Rowe, Ph.D.; Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2008;4:362-369
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Lindsay Braun at lbraun@ivanhoe.com.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
|
.gif)
