Sleep disorders in the elderly involve any disruptive pattern of sleep such as problems with falling or staying asleep, excessive sleep, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Sleeping problems are common in the elderly. In general, older people require less sleep, and their sleep is less deep than that experienced by the young. Some causes of and contributors to sleep disturbances include the following:
History of sleep disturbances and history of contributing factors
Physical examination to rule out medical causes
Review Date: 3/22/2007
Reviewed By: Updated by: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Sandra W. Cohen, M.D. Private Practice specializing in geriatrics, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. (June 2006)
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Sleep Disorders
