Too little sleep and too much sleep among older adults: Associations with self-reported sleep medication use, sleep quality and healthcare utilization

Abstract Difficulty with sleep and falls are prevalent among older adults. Sleep medication use is associated with falls in older adults, but little is known about its impact in older adults with dementia. We used data from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study to assess the association of low- versus high- frequency sleep medication use with falls in older adults with self-reported dementia. In our fully adjusted model, among those with dementia, high-frequency sleep medication users were more likely to fall than low-frequency sleep medication users (OR=3.86, 95% CI: 1.31, 11.37). Among those without dementia, high-frequency sleep medication users were more likely to fall than low-frequency sleep medication users (OR=1.40, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.77). Reducing sleep medication use in older adults with and without dementia may help reduce the risk of falls and fall-related outcomes in older adults.

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Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Every-Night Sleep Medication Use in Older Adults

The Senior Care Pharmacist ◽

10.4140/tcp.n.2019.449 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (7) ◽

pp. 449-455

Author(s):

Jonathan H. Watanabe ◽

Diane L. Chau

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

Medication Use ◽

The United States ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Control Analysis ◽

Night Sleep ◽

Sleep Medication ◽

Case Control Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To quantify relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms with every-night sleep medication use in the United States. DESIGN: A case-control analysis to measure association between subjects with anxiety and depression symptoms and sleep medication use. SETTING AND PATIENTS: Older adults (N = 7,590) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Sleep medication use every night. RESULTS: Presence of the four anxiety and depression symptoms was associated with nightly sleep medication use. Those who reported "felt down, depressed, or hopeless" almost every day had an odds ratio (OR) of 3.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.28-5.37) compared with those who did not. Those who reported "little interest or pleasure in doing things" almost every day had an OR of 1.86 (95% CI 1.32-2.61) compared with those with symptoms less often. Those who reported "felt nervous, anxious, or on edge" more than half the days had an OR of 3.43 (95% CI 2.68-4.37) compared with those who experienced the symptom less frequently. Those who reported "unable to stop or control worrying" more than half the days had an OR of 2.91 (95% CI 2.25-3.77) compared with those who did not. CONCLUSION: Older adults with anxiety and depression are more likely to use sleep medications every night. Efforts must be undertaken to reduce anxiety and depression to mitigate excess consumption of sedatives.

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Acculturation Associated with Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, and Sleep Disorders at the US–Mexico Border

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17197138 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (19) ◽

pp. 7138

Author(s):

Sadia B. Ghani ◽

Marcos E. Delgadillo ◽

Karla Granados ◽

Ashley C. Okuagu ◽

Pamela Alfonso-Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sleep Apnea ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Medication Use ◽

Mexican Descent ◽

Sleep Medication ◽

The Us ◽

Mexico Border ◽

Insomnia Severity ◽

Us Mexico Border

Sleep disparities exist among Hispanics/Latinos, although little work has characterized individuals at the United States (US)–Mexico border, particularly as it relates to acculturation. This study examined the association of Anglo and Mexican acculturation to various facets of sleep health among those of Mexican descent at the US–Mexico border. Data were collected from N = 100 adults of Mexican descent in the city of Nogales, Arizona (AZ). Surveys were presented in English or Spanish. Acculturation was assessed with the Acculturation Scale for Mexican-Americans (ARSMA-II). Insomnia was assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), sleepiness was assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), sleep apnea risk was assessed with the Multivariable Apnea Prediction (MAP) index, weekday and weekend sleep duration and efficiency were assessed with the Sleep Timing Questionnaire, sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and sleep duration and sleep medication use were assessed with PSQI items. No associations were found between Mexican acculturation and any sleep outcomes in adjusted analyses. Anglo acculturation was associated with less weekend sleep duration and efficiency, worse insomnia severity and sleep quality, and more sleep apnea risk and sleep medication use. These results support the idea that sleep disparities may depend on the degree of acculturation, which should be considered in risk screening and interventions.

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