Symptoms of Sleep Disorders in Elderly
Inability to sleep and the related symptoms dominate sleep problems in the elderly.
Sleep disorders are reported in only a small fraction of the elderly people.
Sleep is an indicator of good health in older people. Those who have good health are likely to sleep well compared to those whose health is poor.
About two-thirds of older adults (67%) report experiencing one or more of the following symptoms of a sleep problem, at least for few nights a week:
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- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up frequently during the night
- Waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep
- Waking up feeling tired
- Snoring
- Pauses in breathing
- Unpleasant sensations in the legs
Despite the multiple sleep complaints, only a small fraction report to have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Only one in eight problem comes to light and even fewer are treated.
