Sleep disturbances are prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, and vary by race/ethnicity, sex, and obesity status. The high prevalence of sleep disturbances and undiagnosed sleep apnea among racial/ethnic minorities may contribute to health disparities.

Chronic sleep deficiency, defined as a state of inadequate or mistimed sleep, is a growing and underappreciated determinant of health status. Sleep deprivation contributes to a number of molecular, immune, and neural changes that play a role in disease development, independent of primary sleep disorders. These changes in biological processes in response to chronic sleep deficiency may serve as etiological factors for the development and exacerbation of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and, ultimately, a shortened lifespan. Sleep deprivation also results in significant impairments in cognitive and motor performance which increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes and work-related injuries and fatal accidents. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society have developed this statement to communicate to national health stakeholders the current knowledge which ties sufficient sleep and circadian alignment in adults to health.

Objective To assess the efficacy of moderate aerobic physical activity with sleep hygiene education to improve sleep, mood and quality of life in older adults with chronic insomnia. Methods Seventeen sedentary adults aged ≥55 years with insomnia (mean age 61.6 (SD±4.3) years; 16 female) participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing 16 weeks of aerobic physical activity plus sleep hygiene to non-physical activity plus sleep hygiene. Eligibility included primary insomnia for at least 3 months, habitual sleep duration < 6.5 hours and a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score > 5. Outcomes included sleep quality, mood and quality of life questionnaires (PSQI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], Short-form 36 [SF-36], Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]). Results The physical activity group improved in sleep quality on the global PSQI (p<0.0001), sleep latency (p=0.049), sleep duration (p=0.04), daytime dysfunction (p=0.027), and sleep efficiency (p=0.036) PSQI sub-scores compared to the control group. The physical activity group also had reductions in depressive symptoms (p=0.044), daytime sleepiness (p=0.02) and improvements in vitality (p=0.017) compared to baseline scores. Conclusion Aerobic physical activity with sleep hygiene education is an effective treatment approach to improve sleep quality, mood and quality of life in older adults with chronic insomnia.

Sleep duration has been linked to obesity and there is also an emerging literature in animals demonstrating a relationship between the timing of feeding and weight regulation. However, there is a paucity of research evaluating timing of sleep and feeding on weight regulation in humans. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of sleep timing in dietary patterns and BMI. Participants included 52 (25 females) volunteers who completed 7 days of wrist actigraphy and food logs. Fifty‐six percent were “normal sleepers” (midpoint of <5:30 am) and 44% were “late sleepers” (midpoint of sleep ≥5:30 am). Late sleepers had shorter sleep duration, later sleep onset and sleep offset and meal times. Late sleepers consumed more calories at dinner and after 8:00 pm, had higher fast food, full‐calorie soda and lower fruit and vegetable consumption. Higher BMI was associated with shorter sleep duration, later sleep timing, caloric consumption after 8:00 pm, and fast food meals. In multivariate models, sleep timing was independently associated with calories consumed after 8:00 pm and fruit and vegetable consumption but did not predict BMI after controlling for sleep duration. Calories consumed after 8:00 pm predicted BMI after controlling for sleep timing and duration. These findings indicate that caloric intake after 8:00 pm may increase the risk of obesity, independent of sleep timing and duration. Future studies should investigate the biological and social mechanisms linking timing of sleep and feeding in order to develop novel time‐based interventions for weight management.

Background and SignificanceSleep-related disorders are common in the general adult population, and as the population ages, the prevalence of these disorders increases. A common misconception among clinicians and the public is that this increased prevalence is a normal and expected phenomenon of aging. However, this higher prevalence of sleep disruption is often the result of the increased presence of medical, and psychosocial comorbidities in this population. The complicated multifactorial interactions that generate sleep disorders in older individuals pose important challenges to clinicians. Furthermore, many clinicians are unaware of the seriousness and potential morbidity associated with sleep problems in older people, distinct from the morbidity of concurrent disorders. As a result, these issues are often underinvestigated, or completely ignored. 1 Because of the high prevalence, complexity, and health implications associated with sleeprelated disorders in older individuals, increasing attention is now being focused on this topic. For example, a recent publication has recommended that sleep problems be approached as a "multifactorial geriatric syndrome." 2 Of major clinical concern is the strong bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and serious medical problems in older persons. Individuals with sleep disorders are more likely to Corresponding Author: Harrison G. Bloom, M.D., AGSF, International Longevity Center-USA, 60 East 86th Street New York, NY 10028, 212.517.1308, 212.288.5450, HarrisonB@ilcusa.org NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript develop hypertension, depression, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease. Conversely, individuals with any of these diseases are at higher than normal risk of developing sleep problems. 3,4 Older individuals consider quality sleep to be an essential part of good health. A Gallup survey of over 1000 Americans age 50 and older (43% of whom were age 65 or older) found that 80% answered "a great deal" when asked whether sleep was important for healthy aging. In the same survey, and contrary to the myth that older adults need less sleep, 45% believed they required more sleep now than when they were younger and 25% believed they had a sleep "problem." 5 The goal of this paper is not to present an exhaustive and comprehensive review of sleep and sleep disorders in older persons. Rather, we present an overview of sleep disorders and suggest appropriate evidence-based recommendations for assessing and treating sleep disorders in the older adult population. These recommendations have been developed by professionals with expertise in sleep disorders and in the clinical care of older people.As in many areas of clinical research, older persons are often poorly represented (or specifically excluded) in clinical sleep studies. Thus, there are less data available from randomized controlled trials for this population compared to the general adult population. Nevertheless, given the importance of the subject, and the opportunity for ...