Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wtssw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-07T01:43:23.290Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Gender, Age, and the Risk of Insomnia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Extract

While insomnia is common among men and women and across all age groups, older adults and women experience markedly increased risk for this disorder. Insomnia complaints in adults ≥65 years of age are very common. Foley and colleagues demonstrated in a study of 9,282 older adults (mean age of 74) an insomnia prevalence rate of ∼60%.

Approximately 57% of older adults have sleep complaints (Slide 1). Most of these are associated with comorbid conditions including depressed mood, respiratory problems, or poor physical health. The healthiest members of this population have far fewer sleep complaints.

Type
Expert Panel Supplement
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Foley, DJ, Monjan, AA, Brown, SL, Simonsick, EM, Wallace, RB, Blazer, DG. Sleep complaints among elderly persons: an epidemiologic study of three communities. Sleep. 1995;18(6):425432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Mellinger, GD, Balter, MB, Uhlenhuth, EH. Insomnia and its treatment. Prevalence and correlates. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985;42(3):225232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. The National Sleep Foundation. Summary of Findings. Washington, DC: The National Sleep Foundation; 2007.Google Scholar
4.Ohayon, MM. Prevalence of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria of insomnia: distinguishing insomnia related to mental disorders from sleep disorders. J Psychiatr Res. 1997;31(3):333346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Zhang, B, Wing, YK. Sex differences in Insomnia: a meta-analysis. Sleep. 2006;29(1):8593.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Owens, JF, Matthews, KA. Sleep disturbance in healthy middle-aged women. Maturitas. 1998;30(1):4150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Björkelund, C, Bengtsson, C, Lissner, L, Rödström, K. Women's sleep: longitudinal changes and secular trends in a 24-year perspective. Results of the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sleep. 2002;25(8):894896.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Eichling, PS, Sahni, J. Menopause related sleep disorders. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005;1(3):291300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Schnatz, PF, Banever, AE, Greene, JF, O'Sullivan, DM. Pilot study of menopause symptoms in a clinic population. Menopause. 2005;12(5):623629.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Shaver, JL, Paulsen, VM. Sleep, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms in perimenopausal women. Fam Pract Res J. 1993;13(4):373384.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Chung, KF, Tang, MK. Subjective sleep disturbance and its correlates in middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese women. Maturitas. 2006;53(4):396404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Manber, R, Bootzin, RR. Sleep and the menstrual cycle. Health Psychol. 1997;16(3):209214.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Mindell, JA, Jacobson, BJ. Sleep disturbances during pregnancy. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2000;29(6):590597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Hsu, HC, Lin, MH. Exploring quality of sleep and its related factors among menopausal women. J Nurs Res. 2005;13(2):153164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Anttalainen, U, Saaresranta, T, Aittokallio, J, et al. Impact of menopause on the manifestation and severity of sleep-disordered breathing. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2006;85(11):13811388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Moline, ML, Broch, L, Zak, R, Gross, V. Sleep in women across the life cycle from adulthood through menopause. Sleep Med Rev. 2003;7(2):155177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Freedman, RR, Norton, D, Woodward, S, Cornélissen G. Core body temperature and circadian rhythm of hot flashes in menopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995;80(8):23542358.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Woodward, S, Freeman, R. The thermoregulatory effects of menopausal hot flashes on sleep. Sleep. 1994;17:497501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Freedman, RR, Roehrs, TA. Lack of sleep disturbance from menopausal hot flashes. Fertil Steril. 2004;82(1):138144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Freedman, RR, Roehrs, TA. Sleep disturbance in menopause. Menopause. 2007;14(5):826829.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Gambacciani, M, Ciaponi, M, Cappagli, B, et al. Effects of low-dose, continuous combined hormone replacement therapy on sleep in symptomatic postmenopausal women. Maturitas. 2005;50(2):9197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Sarti, CD, Chiantera, A, Graziottin, A, et al. Hormone therapy and sleep quality in women around menopause. Menopause. 2005;12(5):545551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Moline, M, Broch, L, Zak, R. Sleep in women across the life cycle from adulthood through menopause. Med Clin North Am. 2004;88(3):705736, ix.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Young, T, Palta, M, Dempsey, J, Skatrud, J, Weber, S, Badr, S. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N Engl J Med. 1993;328(17):12301235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Young, T, Finn, L, Austin, D, Peterson, A. Menopausal status and sleep-disordered breathing in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003;167(9):11811185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Ouyang, M, Hellman, K, Abel, T, Thomas, SA. Adrenergic signaling plays a critical role in the maintenance of waking and in the regulation of REM sleep. J Neurophysiol. 2004;92(4):20712082.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Lee, KA, Kryger, MH. Women and sleep. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2008;17(7):11891190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar