Insomnia and ageing: Implications for healthcare practice and policy

Jason Ellis*, Mark Cropley, Sarah Hampson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Although ageing itself does not lead to insomnia, changes in sleep architecture (the 'typical' physiological progression from wakefulness to deep sleep) and health status create a vulnerability to the development of insomnia, which can be precipitated by a trigger event. This review highlights some of the problems associated with insomnia in older people and offers insights into the possible approaches to stop insomnia from becoming a 'rite of passage'. The main conclusion from this review however, is that sleep research focusing specifically on the ageing population is badly needed, alongside a unified diagnostic system and research structure (Leger, 2000). These findings are also discussed in relation to both healthcare policy and practice.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1935430
Pages (from-to)20-32
Number of pages13
JournalQuality in Ageing and Older Adults
Volume2
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2001
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Ageing
  • Healthcare
  • Insomnia
  • Medical practice
  • Older people
  • Sleep disruption

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