An age-old problem

Reports of insomnia increase with age. But is growing older inextricably partnered with a decline in the quality of sleep? Not necessarily, according to new research published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Studies indicate that as many as one-third of people age 65 and older complain about both the length and quality of their sleep. Medical problems, the likelihood of which increase with age, account for a portion of these disturbances. Theorizing that changes such as retirement or widowhood that can cause significant changes in daily living patterns might also affect sleep, researchers in this study examined other possibilities--the effect of inactivity and dissatisfaction with social life on sleeping habits.

Looking for the cause of insomnia

The scientists, led by a researcher from Stanford University in the United States, recruited more than 13,000 people from three countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. About 18% of them were age 65 and older.

Interviewers administered a questionnaire to the study participants via telephone. The investigators asked questions regarding the presence, severity, and impact of sleep disturbances including difficulty falling asleep, disrupted sleep, nonrestorative sleep, and early morning awakening. Questions regarding marital status and physical and mental health were also included. The participants were questioned about their social activity--defined as either an activity for which the individual received a salary or other activity such as volunteer work that required the individual to be outside his or her home. Participants were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their social life.

Researchers divided the participants into four groups: those without activity and dissatisfied with their social life; those without activity and satisfied with their social life; those with activity and dissatisfied with their social life; and those with activity and satisfied with their social life. The study subjects were also sorted into a number of age groupings.

Inactivity hinders sleep

Overall, the proportion of people identified as being inactive increased after 55 years of age. Older people, however, were generally no more likely than younger people to report dissatisfaction with their social life. Regardless of age, those who were both without activity and dissatisfied with their social life showed the highest rates of insomnia symptoms, followed by those who were active but dissatisfied with their social life.

More than one-third of those aged 65 and over reported symptoms of insomnia. However, when the researchers accounted for health, activity, and satisfaction with social life, people in the older groups experienced insomnia symptoms at about the same rate as those in the younger groups.

Staying active can lead to better sleep

The researchers found that a satisfying social life and staying active helped to protect people from insomnia, regardless of age. While older people may report a higher rate of insomnia, this study indicates that it is not aging per se, but factors that often accompany aging that lead to sleep disturbances among older adults. Retirement, for example, which generally happens in later years, might lead to a shift in sleep-wake patterns and contribute to insomnia.

Older adults may not be able to change a physical condition such as painful arthritis that makes it difficult to sleep. Insomnia caused by inactivity, however, is easier to address. Maintaining, or even initiating involvement in, volunteer work, or religious or civic activities may be a manageable goal with rewards that include a better night's sleep.