'Young old' and 'old old' poor sleepers with and without insomnia complaints.
OBJECTIVE
Sleep, psychological adjustment, health and insomnia complaints were examined in 277 community-dwelling seniors in order to identify characteristics that distinguish poor sleepers with complaints (likely to seek treatment) and those without complaints (unlikely to seek treatment).


METHODS
Two weeks of sleep diaries and other sleep-related measures were collected. Young old (65-74 years) and old old (75+) participants were categorized as: good sleepers, poor sleepers with complaints (complainers), and poor sleepers without complaints (noncomplainers).


RESULTS
In both age groups, complainers had poorer sleep than noncomplainers. Complainers also reported more depressive symptoms and had poorer health than noncomplainers. The old old slept longer each night, but took longer to fall asleep, napped more, and were more likely to complain of insomnia than the young old; otherwise, the young old/old old distinction did not explain sleep differences among the three types of sleepers.


CONCLUSIONS
Implications for treating late-life insomnia include greater inclusion of the old old in treatment outcome research and more focus on the development of integrated intervention and prevention strategies that target health, depressive symptoms, and sleep.
McCrae
Christina S
CS
Institute on Aging, University of Florida, McCurty C, Room 502, Gainesville, FL 32611-5911, USA. csmccrae@ul.edu
Wilson
Nancy M
NM
Lichstein
Kenneth L
KL
Durrence
H Heith
HH
Taylor
Daniel J
DJ
Bush
Andrew J
AJ
Riedel
Brant W
BW
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology