Sleep Survey Shows Seniors Sleeping Better Than Boomers

Nov. 3, 2005 – About 25 percent of adults 50 and older told a Gallup survey they have a “sleep problem.” Interestingly, the new survey for the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC) shows it is senior citizens 65 and older who are most likely to get a “good nights sleep.”

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

On how many nights a week would you say you get a “good night’s sleep?”

Chart shows percent of each age category choosing how many nights that sleep well. Note senior citizens in red sleeping well seven nights a week. See detail table below story.

Almost half (46 percent) of older adults receive fewer than seven hours of sleep each night, but again, it is seniors – those 65 through 74 – who seem to get the best rest with 57 percent saying they sleep between seven and nine hours per night. Those mostly baby boomers from 50 through 64 that get this amount of nightly sleep is 46 percent or less.

Although most older adults (80 percent) recognize the importance of sleep to their health, many who experience trouble sleeping remain untreated. According to the survey, 53 percent of adults who have spoken with their healthcare providers about a sleep problem are not receiving treatment. Furthermore, older adults have concerns about taking prescription sleep medications including addiction, next-day grogginess and long-term side effects.

Typical Number of Hours Sleep Each Night

On average, how many hours of sleep do you typically get each night?

Note the seniors 65-74 in yellow leading in the category of seven to eight hours. Also of interest is how those 75 and older (red) far exceed others in sleeping nine hours or more. Detail chart below story.

"The importance of sleep to healthy aging is often overlooked in the medical community, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that good sleep could be a new vital sign," said Robert N. Butler, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the ILC. "Poor sleep is a condition that needs to be addressed, diagnosed and treated – it could be as important as nutrition, exercise and social engagement to the health of older adults."

The Gallup survey also showed that 77 percent of older adults expressed concerns about the long-term effects of prescription sleep aids and nearly seven in ten (68 percent) are concerned about becoming addicted to them. Fewer than one in ten respondents (9 percent) deemed prescription sleep aids as "very safe."

Caregiver Worries

Why are older adults suffering from sleepless nights? Worry is a common factor that interferes with nearly 40 percent of older adults' ability to fall asleep – a trend that is especially common among primary caregivers. According to the survey, half of caregivers (50 percent) report that worrying has interfered with their ability to fall asleep.

Important Factors to a Healthy Lifestyle

Among a list of five factors that may be important to a healthy lifestyle, good sleep quality ranks fourth by the respondents as “most important” to a healthy lifestyle. Fifty-seven percent rate this a “5” (most important) and 28% rate it a “4”. Good nutrition and staying mentally sharp were rated higher (76% and 73% respectively), followed by regular exercise.

"As the population continues to age, many older Americans are assuming the role of primary caregiver for a parent or relative – a position often accompanied by high levels of anxiety," said Dr. Butler. "It is no surprise that this stress and the need for round-the-clock care often interfere with getting a good night's sleep."

About the Survey and Consensus Conference

Findings of the survey were presented at the ILC's Sleep and Healthy Aging Scientific Consensus Conference being held November 2-4 in New York City. The nation's top medical experts are convening at the conference to discuss a range of topics including the challenges caregivers face in getting good sleep, the relationship between exercise and sleep, and the unique effects of sleep on older adults' quality of life. Additional survey results include the following:

● Respondents ranked good sleep quality as the fourth most important factor to a healthy lifestyle, following good nutrition, mental sharpness and regular exercise.
● Older men are more likely than older women (38 percent vs. 27 percent) to say they get a good night's sleep seven days a week.
● The 46 percent of adults who describe their health as excellent are the most likely group to say they get a good night's sleep every night of the week.
● Forty-five percent of older adults feel they need more sleep today than when they were young.

The random telephone survey of 1,003 adults 50 years of age or older was conducted by The Gallup Organization for ILC to examine older adults' knowledge of the importance of sleep, their sleep behaviors and their attitudes toward sleep and aging. The results have been statistically adjusted to be nationally representative of all adults age 50 and older. Additional information about the survey can be found athttp://www.ilcusa.org/.

About Source:

The International Longevity Center-USA is a research policy organization in New York City and has sister centers in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. Led by Dr. Robert N. Butler, a world renowned physician specializing in geriatrics, the Center is a non-for-profit, non-partisan organization with a staff of economists, medical and health researchers, demographers and others who study the impact of population aging on society. The ILC-USA focuses on combating ageism, healthy aging, productive engagement and the financing of old age. The ILC-USA is an independent affiliate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and is incorporated as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity. www.ilcusa.org

	Related Stories
	Read more news about Aging - click here

The Gallup survey and the Sleep and Healthy Aging Scientific Consensus Conference are supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Q: On how many nights a week would you say you get a “good night’s sleep?”

While eight percent said they never get a good night’s sleep, one-third (32%) say they get a good night’s sleep every night. Twenty percent report getting a good night’s sleep less than half the week (10% one or two nights and another 10% on three nights). The average number of nights adults age 50 and over say they get a good night’s sleep is 4.8 nights.

The reported number of hours slept is related to reports of getting a good night’s sleep ranging from an average of 2.3 days a week among those who get less than six hours to 5.7 days among those who get eight or more hours.

Those less likely than others to report getting a good night’s sleep all seven nights of the week each night include:

● Adults who have health problems that interfere with their sleep
● Adults who say worry interferes with either their ability to fall asleep or to stay asleep
● Adults who believe they have a sleep problem
● Adults who feel they need more sleep than they are getting
● Adults who report getting less than seven hours sleep each night (in particular those who typically get less than six hours)
● Women
● Adults under age 65
● Those who describe their health fair or poor

Number of Nights Get a Good Night’s Sleep

		GENDER		AGE			# HOURS SLEEP AT NIGHT
	Total %	Male %	Female %	50-54 %	55-64 %	65+ %	<6 %	6 - <7 %	7 - <8 %	8+ %
One	4	2	5	5	3	3	11	3	1	2
Two	6	6	6	9	5	4	15	6	2	1
Three	10	9	10	10	12	8	20	11	4	6
Four	10	10	10	12	11	9	8	15	10	6
Five	16	14	18	20	17	13	4	17	22	18
Six	13	14	13	12	13	14	4	13	18	16
Seven	32	38	27	26	28	39	8	30	40	47
None	8	6	10	6	10	8	30	5	1	3
Don’t know/Refused	1	1	1	*	1	2	1	*	2	1
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Number of Interviews	(1003)	(494)	(509)	(227)	(344)	(432)	(186)	(261)	(324)	(222)
MEAN	4.8	5.1	4.5	4.5	4.6	5.0	2.3	4.8	5.7	5.7

*Less than 0.5%.

Typical Number of Hours Sleep Each Night

Q: On average, how many hours of sleep do you typically get each night?

About one in five (20%) adults age 50 and over report getting less than six hours sleep each night. Another one in four (26%) say they get between six but less than seven hours sleep, while 31% report getting seven to less than eight hours sleep each night. Seventeen percent report they get between eight but less than nine hours of sleep. Only five percent say they get nine or more hours of sleep each night.

Adults more likely than others to report getting less than seven hours sleep include:

● Those age 50-54
● Those employed full-time
● Those with specific health problems and those who report that they have health problems that interfere with their sleep
● Caregivers
● Those who say worry interferes with their sleep
● And not surprisingly, those who feel they need more sleep
● Those who are in fair or poor health

Number of Hours Sleep Each Night

		GENDER		AGE				Believes He/She Has Sleep Problem
	Total %	Male %	Female %	50-54 %	55-64 %	65-74 %	75+ %	Yes %	No %
Less than four	3	2	4	4	3	4	3	12	1
Four to less than five	5	5	5	5	6	4	5	16	2
Five to less than six	12	10	14	14	14	10	11	23	9
Six to less than seven	26	27	25	31	27	22	20	23	26
Seven to less than eight	31	34	28	30	30	35	28	13	36
Eight to less than nine	17	16	19	11	16	22	22	9	20
Nine to less than ten	3	4	2	3	3	1	7	2	3
Ten or longer	2	2	1	1	1	1	3	1	2
Don’t know/Refused	1	*	2	1	*	1	1	1	1
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Number of Interviews	(1003)	(494)	(509)	(227)	(344)	(239)	(193)	(233)	(770)

Percentage of Adults 50+ Who Feel They Have a Sleep Problem

Q: Do you believe you have a sleep problem?

One in four (25%) adults age 50 and over believe they have a sleep problem, while three-quarters (75%) do not think they have a sleep problem. Those especially likely to feel they have a sleep problem include:

● Adults who typically get less than six hours sleep per night (60% feel they have a sleep problem).
● Those who have been told they have heart disease (37% feel they have a sleep problem )
● Those who are overweight (32% feel they have a sleep problem)
● Those who have been told by a doctor they have high blood pressure (31% feel they have a sleep problem).
● Adults who say worry interferes with their ability to fall asleep (42% feel they have a sleep problem and among those who say worry interferes with their ability to stay asleep, 50% feel they have a sleep problem).
● Those who feel they need more sleep (51% feel they have a sleep problem).
● Those who use some type of sleep aid to help get to sleep (39% feel they have a sleep problem)

Opinions About The Importance of Sleep to One’s Health

Q.: How much impact do you think the proper amount of sleep has on one’s health? A great deal, some, very little or not much at all?

Eight in ten of the respondents in the survey believe that getting the proper amount of sleep has a great deal of impact on one’s health. An additional 16% feel it has some impact. Few – 3% believe it has very little impact on a person’s health

Those more likely than their counterparts to feel proper sleep impacts a person’s health a great deal are:

● Women (84% vs. 75% among men)
● Those who have not graduated college (86% vs. 73% among college graduates)
● Adults who say they average eight or more hours sleep each night (86% vs. 73% among those who average less than six hours sleep each night)

Click to More Senior News on the Front Page