The relationship between objectively measured sleep disturbance and dementia family caregiver distress and burden.
The aim of this study was to determine whether distress and burden were associated with objective measures of sleep disturbance in dementia caregivers. Using wrist actigraphy, sleep was measured in 60 female, Caucasian dementia family caregivers (mean age, 64.8 years). Caregivers completed questionnaires about demographics, health, depression, duration of caregiving and care recipient nighttime behavior. Care recipients completed a mental status exam. We investigated whether these measures were associated with actigraphic sleep parameters. Greater depressive symptoms among caregivers were associated with poorer sleep efficiency. Older caregiver age and poorer self-rated health were associated with longer time in bed. Sleep disturbance, which is common among dementia caregivers, might be an important index of caregiver distress (ie, depression) but might not be associated with burden (based on the care recipient's general cognitive impairment or nighttime awakenings.).
Beaudreau
Sherry A
SA
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. sherryb@stanford.edu
Spira
Adam P
AP
Gray
Heather L
HL
Depp
Colin A
CA
Long
James
J
Rothkopf
Mark
M
Gallagher-Thompson
Dolores
D
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult