Is Daytime Sleepiness an Excessive Risk for Older Adults?

Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in older adults. But is it anything to be worried about?

A new study from France may raise a few eyebrows. It links EDS in older adults with an increased risk of death.

The study involved 8,269 adults with an average age of 74 years. All of them were living in the community rather than in a nursing home. None of them had dementia when the study began.

At the start of the study almost 19 percent of participants reported having regular or frequent EDS. The study group was followed for six years.

During this time 762 people died. Of these deaths, 196 were caused by heart disease.

Results show that the older adults with EDS had a much worse survival rate. There was a 33 percent increase in their risk of death. There also was a 49 percent increase in their risk of death from heart disease.

So is EDS a symptom of heart disease? The relationship may not be so simple.

The study measured the resting heart rates of participants. Ultrasound also was used to examine the carotid artery of two-thirds of the study group. There were no differences between those with and without EDS.

Does this mean that EDS in some way triggers heart disease? The authors aren’t sure. But they suggest that EDS in older adults may not be as harmless as some might think.

They recommend that doctors should routinely screen older adults for EDS. Those who have EDS then should undergo a sleep study to look for any underlying sleep problems.

Get Sleep Tips for Older Adults from the AASM.

Take Sleep Medications Carefully

Sleep medications are a safe and effective treatment option for insomnia. They can help break the cycle of sleepless nights.

But like any other drug, sleeping pills can cause side effects. These include nausea, headaches and dizziness. A recent incident involving a school-bus driver in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a reminder that daytime sleepiness is another possible side effect.

Some people also may sleepwalk, sleep eat or have other complex sleep behaviors as a side effect. In 2006 the FDA told drug makers to add these risks to their product labeling for sleeping pills.

So how can you reduce your risk of these and other side effects?

First, carefully follow your doctor’s prescribing instructions. Never take more than the dosage that your doctor prescribes. Always talk to your doctor before taking another medication along with a sleeping pill.

Also, allow time for a full night of sleep after taking a sleeping pill to reduce morning or daytime drowsiness. It is also important to avoid drinking any alcohol before or after taking a sleep medication.

Tell your doctor right away if you have any side effects from taking a sleeping pill. Your doctor may adjust your dose. Or you may be able to try a different medication.

There are a variety of effective sleeping pills available. So your doctor should be able to find one that is right for you.

If you prefer a drug-free alternative, ask you doctor about CBT for insomnia. It’s an effective treatment option that can have long-lasting effects.

Get more Tips for Taking Sleep Medications. Get advice from a sleep specialist in this Expert Q&A that focuses on insomnia.

America is Still Sleeping, More or Less

Today the National Sleep Foundation released the results of its 2009 Sleep in America Poll. It shows how a random sample of 1,000 American adults responded to a survey in the fall.

How are we doing? On average, Americans could use a little more sleep.

Respondents reported sleeping an average of 6.7 hours per night on weekdays for the past two weeks. This is down slightly from the 6.8 hours reported in the 2005 poll.

More people reported sleeping eight or more hours per night than in 2005. But more people also reported sleeping less than six hours nightly.

Individual sleep needs vary from one person to another. But the AASM recommends that most adults need about seven to eight hours of nightly sleep.

In the poll about 55 percent of people reported that they were getting at least seven hours of sleep during the week. On weekends this figure rose to 68 percent.

This is similar to what the CDC has reported. From 2004 to 2006 about 63 percent of U.S. adults reported sleeping for seven to eight hours in a typical 24-hour period.

In the 2009 Sleep in America Poll about 27 percent of people also said that the economy is keeping them awake. Concerns include personal finances, employment and health care.

Studies show that such complaints are common. At any time roughly 30 percent of adults have symptoms of insomnia.

But insomnia causes daytime problems in only about 15 to 20 percent of people. Less than 10 percent of people are likely to have an ongoing, long-term case of insomnia.

So how Americans are sleeping is all over the map. But what about you? In this cloud of numbers, where do you fit?

Maybe you’re one of the people who needs a little more sleep. Perhaps you can turn off the TV or the computer 30 minutes earlier at night. Do you think you would notice a difference if you began to “sleep for seven”?

Or maybe you have a problem that prevents you from sleeping well. Insomnia. Sleep apnea. Restless legs. Or one of the many other sleep disorders. In this case it may be time for you to contact an AASM-accredited sleep center for help.

Tonight, don’t worry about America. Focus on getting the sleep that you need instead.

Sleep Stats & Facts for National Sleep Awareness Week

The National Sleep Foundation’s National Sleep Awareness Week is today through next Sunday. So how’s your sleep awareness?

Here are some sleep facts and stats from the AASM:

• Humans spend about 1/3 of their lives asleep.


• Newborns need about 16 to 20 hours of sleep per day.


• During adolescence a change in the body clock keeps most teens from feeling sleepy until 10 p.m. or later.


• Adults who don’t get enough sleep tend to act sluggish, but sleep-deprived children may be hyperactive.


• Sleeping less than seven hours per night increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.


• Drowsy driving is associated with almost 20 percent of all serious car-crash injuries.


• During a full night of sleep most adults go through four to six sleep cycles that each last about 90 minutes to 110 minutes.


• During the stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed to prevent you from acting out your dreams.


• It is estimated that 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorder.


• People with untreated sleep apnea have a higher rate of death due to heart disease.


• Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint, affecting about 30 percent of adults.


• For every time zone that you cross during a flight, it takes your body about one day to adjust.

So celebrate National Sleep Awareness Week the best way: Get a good night’s sleep!

Begin to Spring Forward Before the March 8 Change to Daylight Saving Time

Are you planning ahead for the change to daylight saving time on Sunday, March 8? You should.

Sleep experts advise you to go to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night before the time change. This will give your body time to adjust.

You may be thinking, “It’s only an hour. What’s the big deal?”

Well, the one-hour time change may affect you more than you realize. Consider these research findings:

New England Journal of Medicine: Heart attacks are significantly increased for the first three weekdays after the transition to daylight saving time in the spring. The authors suggest that the best explanation for this risk is that the time change causes sleep deprivation.

BMC Physiology: The transition in and out of daylight saving time disrupts sleep and enhances restlessness. Springing forward by an hour is more disruptive for people who are “evening types” or “night owls.” These people have a hard time falling asleep when they go to bed early. So they may be unable to compensate for the time change. As a result they may go to bed even later than normal. This can deprive them of much-needed sleep.

Current Biology: The timing of sleep on free days naturally follows the seasonal progression of dawn under standard time. The human circadian system does not adjust to daylight saving time.

Neuroscience Letters: The transition to daylight saving time reduces both sleep efficiency and sleep duration. Sleep efficiency is the percentage of time in bed that you spend sleeping.

So maybe you should ease into daylight saving time this year. Learn more from the AASM about Planning Ahead for Daylight Saving Time.