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Sleep and Sleep Disorders

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Geriatric Medicine

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Abstract

Humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping, indicating the vital importance of sleep for health and survival. The specific characteristics of normal sleep change across the lifespan. In addition to certain age-related changes in sleep, other factors play a large role in sleep disturbances among older adults, including comorbidities, medications, changes in lifestyle, and other factors. Older adults who sleep poorly take more medications, have more clinician visits, and report worse health than their counterparts who sleep well. In addition, certain primary sleep disorders are more common or particularly important in older people. Recognition, testing, and appropriate management of common sleep problems in older people is essential. When considering treatment, risks, and benefits must be carefully considered, particularly in the frail older adult where adverse effects of some treatments may be particularly problematic. However, advanced age is not a reason to limit testing and treatment of sleep problems, since addressing sleep disorders in older adults can lead to significant improvements in their health and quality of life.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    David Dai & Kevin J. Eng

  2. Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, North Hills, CA, USA

    Cathy A. Alessi

  3. UCLA Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Cathy A. Alessi

Authors
  1. David Dai
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  2. Kevin J. Eng
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  3. Cathy A. Alessi
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, Newbury Park, CA, USA

    Michael R. Wasserman

  2. Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Debra Bakerjian

  3. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aurora, CO, USA

    Sunny Linnebur

  4. Division of Geriatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Sharon Brangman

  5. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Matteo Cesari

  6. Section of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

    Sonja Rosen

Section Editor information

  1. Section of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

    Sonja Rosen MD

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© 2024 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply

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Dai, D., Eng, K.J., Alessi, C.A. (2024). Sleep and Sleep Disorders. In: Wasserman, M.R., Bakerjian, D., Linnebur, S., Brangman, S., Cesari, M., Rosen, S. (eds) Geriatric Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74720-6_94

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74720-6_94

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-74719-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74720-6

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