Characteristics of sleep in older persons with chronic pain: a study based on actigraphy and self-reporting.
OBJECTIVE
To examine characteristics of sleep and sleep complaints in older persons with chronic pain, as compared to older persons with neither sleep complaints nor chronic pain, on the basis of objective and subjective sleep assessment.


METHODS
Forty-three older adults (60 to 81 y) with chronic pain and 29 older adults (55 to 85 y) without sleep complaints and chronic pain participated, completing a self-report measure of sleep quality, and a measure of sleepiness. The participants kept sleep diaries for 2 weeks, and wore an actigraph for the same period of time. An actigraph is a motion-monitoring device detecting sleep-wake patterns by measuring activity levels.


RESULTS
The sample with chronic pain demonstrated significantly poorer sleep quality and more symptoms of disruptive sleep and poorer daytime functioning on subjective sleep measures than the comparison group. Actigraphy recordings and sleep diary data showed that participants with chronic pain spent significantly more time in bed than participants without sleep complaints. They also had lower sleep efficiency than the participants without sleep complaints, based on both a sleep diary and actigraphic data, although the actigraphic data were only nearly significant. The duration of sleep, based on both actigraphy and a sleep diary, was not significantly different between the 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep complaints such as disruptive sleep and problems initiating and maintaining sleep, and impairment in daytime functioning, are prevalent in older adults with chronic pain. Sleep and sleep complaints should be addressed to a much greater extent in this patient group.
Lunde
Linn-Heidi
LH
The Pain Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. liheilu@hotmail.com
Pallesen
Ståle
S
Krangnes
Lise
L
Nordhus
Inger Hilde
IH
D056044:Actigraphy / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D012649:Self Concept; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires