NEW YORK, Sept 29 — A new US poll has revealed the extent of sleep problems in older Americans, with worryingly more than a third of those surveyed turning to medication to help them sleep at night rather than talking to their doctor about the issue.
Conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical centre, the National Poll on Healthy Ageing questioned a nationally representative sample of 1,065 people ages 65 to 80, who answered a wide range of health questions online.
The findings revealed that nearly half of older Americans find it difficult to drop off at night, with other health conditions also contributing to sleep difficulties.
Twenty-three per cent said they had trouble sleeping due to pain, and 40 per cent of those with frequent sleep problems said their overall health was fair or poor.
Other reasons given for sleep problems included having to get up to use the bathroom at night and worry or stress.
Insomnia and other irregular sleep patterns can interfere with daytime functioning, and are associated with a variety of health problems including memory issues, depression and an increased risk of falls and accidents.
Despite this, and the fact that more than a third said that their difficulty in sleeping posed a problem, most respondents still haven’t spoken to their doctor about their sleep issues, with many believing incorrectly that sleep problems are a normal part of ageing.
Instead more than a third have used some sort of medication to help fix the problem, but experts warn that those who use sleep medications may not realise that they carry their own health risks, whether they are prescription, over-the-counter and even “natural” sleep aids.
“Although sleep problems can happen at any age and for many reasons, they can’t be cured by taking a pill, either prescription, over-the-counter or herbal, no matter what the ads on TV say,” says poll director Preeti Malani, MD, a U-M physician trained in geriatric medicine. “Some of these medications can create big concerns for older adults, from falls and memory issues to confusion and constipation.”
Although melatonin and other “natural” herbal remedies are often perceived to be safer options, Malani points out that less is known about their potential side effects and they are not subject to the FDA’s approval process for medications.
Instead, Malani advises that the first step should be to talk to a doctor about a sleep problem, with the poll showing that two-thirds of those who did go to a doctor report that they received helpful advice. Malani also believes the findings highlight that doctors should also be asking older patients about their sleep habits.
She also added that that non-medication-based sleep habits are another way of improving sleep in older people, with many experts recommending switching off electronic devices two hours before bedtime, dimming the lights to get the body ready for sleep, waking at the same time each day, and not using the bedroom for anything other than sleep in order to help encourage more shut-eye.
A full report of the findings and methodology is available at www.healthyagingpoll.org — AFP-Relaxnews
