@article{Pallesen_Nordhus_Nielsen_2009, title={Perception of sleep in the elderly}, volume={8}, url={https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/norepid/article/view/466}, DOI={10.5324/nje.v8i2.466}, abstractNote={<strong><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;"><p align="left"> </p><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left">Background:</p></span></span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left"> </p></span></em></strong></span><p align="left"> </p><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left">Method:</p></span></span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left"> </p></span></em></strong></span><p align="left"> </p><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left">Results:</p></span></span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left"> </p></span></em></strong></span><p align="left"> </p><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left">Conclusion:</p></span></span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p align="left"> </p></span></em></strong></span><p align="left"> </p><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p>Key Words:</p></span></span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT;"><p> </p></span></em></strong></span><p> </p></em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">insomnia; older adults; diagnosis; perception of sleep</span></span></strong></em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">The results cast doubts about the usefulness of the common criteria (30 minutes sleep<p align="left">onset latency and wake after sleep onset) used in clinical contexts to diagnose insomnia. Unrealistic</p><p align="left">positive expectations about sleep changes with age can lower the threshold for complaining and thus</p><p align="left">contribute to dissatisfaction and worry about sleep. Sedative-hypnotic drugs did seem to have limited</p><p align="left">benefit for the participants in this study.</p></span></span></strong></em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">For those generally satisfied with their sleep, mean sleep onset latency was 37 minutes and<p align="left">mean wake after sleep onset was 38 minutes. It was further demonstrated that 59.2% of the sample had</p><p align="left">unrealistic positive expectations (did not expect worsening of sleep with age) regarding sleep in old</p><p align="left">age. Those using sedative-hypnotic medication (23.3%) were less satisfied with their sleep and felt less</p><p align="left">refreshed during the day than non-users. Contrary to most studies, no general gender differences in</p><p align="left">perception of sleep was revealed. The only exception was total sleep time where men reported more</p><p align="left">sleep than women (6.78 vs. 6.15 hours) per day.</p></span></span></strong></em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">A questionnaire focusing on the subjective experience of sleep was administered to 116 older<p align="left">(60 years and above) visitors at 4 senior centres in Bergen, Norway.</p></span></span></strong></em><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Discrepancies between objectively and subjectively measured sleep variables make diagnosing<p align="left">insomnia in the elderly difficult. Also relevant to diagnosing insomnia in the elderly are expectations</p><p align="left">about sleep, gender and use of sedative-hypnotic medication. The present study focuses on how</p><p align="left">these variables relate to insomnia and sleep satisfaction.</p></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;">ABSTRACT</span></span></strong>}, number={2}, journal={Norsk Epidemiologi}, author={Pallesen, Ståle and Nordhus, Inger Hilde and Nielsen, Geir Høstmark}, year={2009}, month={Oct.} }