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Sleep and Sensory Organ Functions in The Elderly
Ragnar Asplund, M.D.
Sleep complaints are common in the elderly. A number of different somatic and
mental diseases and symptoms are associated with sleep impairment. Sensory organ
dysfunctions increase with age and seem to be a disregarded mechanism in the
development of sleep impairment in the elderly. Blindness and visual impairment,
hearing impairment and tinnitus are all associated with deterioration of sleep. In
many elderly persons poor sleep may be attributed to a deterioration of their 24-hour
rhythm. Such a disturbance is especially profound in blind persons, in whom severe
sleep disturbances are prevalent. There is also an increase in sleep disturbances in
visually impaired elderly persons, who suffer from different degrees of reduction of
visual acuity with persisting light perception. A lack of light perception cannot
therefore be the only causative mechanism in the development of sleep deterioration
in visually impaired elderly persons. Among subjects with impaired hearing, poor
sleep is also more common in both sexes, while frequent awakenings and difficulties
in falling asleep after waking at night is more common in women. Poor hearing is also
associated with increased daytime sleepiness independently of health, sleep status
and age. The habit of taking naps is almost twice as common in this group as in the
group with good hearing. Tinnitus sufferers of both sexes more often complain of
poor sleep and frequent waking, while difficulties in falling asleep after waking at
night are increased among women. In parallel with increased sleep deterioration in
tinnitus sufferers, daytime sleepiness is also increased.
| Keywords: elderly, hearing impairment, sleep, visual impairment, tinnitus |
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