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Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge
Gulia KK, Kumar VM.. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society, 2018-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In contrast to newborns, who spend 16-20 h in sleep each day, adults need only about sleep daily. However, many elderly may struggle to obtain those 8 h in one block. In addition to changes in sleep duration, sleep patterns change as age progresses. Like the physical changes that occur during old age, an alteration in sleep pattern is also a part of the normal ageing process. As people age, they tend to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep. Older people spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep than in deep sleep. As the circadian mechanism in older people becomes less efficient, their sleep schedule is shifted forward. Even when they manage to obtain 7 or 8 h sleep, they wake up early, as they have gone to sleep quite early. The prevalence of sleep disorders is higher among older adults. Loud snoring, which is more common in the elderly, can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea, which puts a person at risk for cardiovascular diseases, headaches, memory loss, and depression. Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder that disrupt sleep are more prevalent in older persons. Other common medical problems of old age such as hypertension diabetes mellitus, renal failure, respiratory diseases such as asthma, immune disorders, gastroesophageal reflux disease, physical disability, dementia, pain, depression, and anxiety are all associated with sleep disturbances.
Key findings
- Other common medical problems of old age such as hypertension diabetes mellitus, renal failure, respiratory diseases such as asthma, immune disorders, gastroesophageal reflux disease, physical disability, dementia, pain, depression, and anxiety are all associated with sleep disturbances.
Why it matters
This review notes that sleep patterns change as part of normal ageing and that the prevalence of sleep disorders is higher among older adults. It states that common medical problems of old age, including dementia, are associated with sleep disturbances.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Psychogeriatrics: journal h-index 62 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 556 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 55.6 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 41.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 232 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Velayudhan Mohan Kumar: h-index 30 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology: institution h-index 176 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29878472) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Gulia, K. K., & Kumar, V. M. (2018). Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12319
Vancouver
Gulia KK, Kumar VM. Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge. Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society. 2018. doi:10.1111/psyg.12319. PMID: 29878472.
BibTeX
@article{gulia2018-29878472,
author = {Gulia, K. K. and Kumar, V. M.},
title = {{Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge}},
journal = {Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1111/psyg.12319},
pmid = {29878472},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12319}
}
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