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Poor sleepers who do not complain of insomnia: Myths and realities about psychological and lifestyle characteristics of older good and poor sleepers

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Abstract

Psychological adjustment, lifestyle, and sleep parameters were investigated in 634 older community residents. Participants were divided into three categories: good sleepers, poor sleepers experiencing high distress, and poor sleepers experiencing minimal distress. Results indicate that (1) highly distressed poor sleepers manifested an anxious, depressed, negative cognitive-affective set; (2) many coped well with age related changes in sleep quality—they resembled good sleepers in the relative absence of psychological maladjustment they displayed; (3) the three groups had similar lifestyles, but they differed in the cognitive-affective evaluation of their activities, (4) the insomnia complaint is itself multifaceted and is comprised of three distinct elements—difficulty sleeping, distress, and daytime fatigue; (5) sleep practices (e.g., naps, bedtimes) are not implicated in chronic poor sleep; and (6) many commonly held assumptions about sleep disruptions in older individuals are myth rather than reality. Implications for better understanding and treating insomnia in older individuals are discussed.

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  1. ICFP, Behavior and Sex Therapy Service, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Cote St. Catherine Road, H3T 1E4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Catherine S. Fichten

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  1. Catherine S. Fichten
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  2. Laura Creti
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This article was prepared during the tenure of grants from the Conseil Québécois de la recherche sociale, Health and Welfare Canada, and the Direction générale de l'enseignement collégial. We are grateful for the generous support of these organizations. In addition, we would like to thank the dedicated members of our research team: Sally Bailes, Ann Gay, Jason Lavers, John Martos, Kathleen McAdams, Vicki Tagalakis, and most especially, Harriet Lennox for their substantial contribution to this research.

Dawson College.

Sir Mortimer B. Davis—Jewish General Hospital.

Concordia University.

McGill University.

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Fichten, C.S., Creti, L., Amsel, R. et al. Poor sleepers who do not complain of insomnia: Myths and realities about psychological and lifestyle characteristics of older good and poor sleepers. J Behav Med 18, 189–223 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01857869

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