More Than 90 Percent of People Caring for a Family Member With Dementia Experience Poor Sleep

A study published in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care found almost 92 percent of people caring for a family member with dementia sleep poorly, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed the sleep of 43 people serving as primary caregivers for a family member with dementia. All participants were older than 50 and resided in the Western New York area. The majority of participants experienced poor sleep quality, awoke often, and slept less than six hours a night. It was determined that poor sleep hygiene increased the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Although caregivers self-reported taking an average of half an hour to fall asleep, data collected using actigraphy watches indicated a sleep latency of 40 minutes. "Understanding how well caregivers are sleeping and the variables that affect them is an important first step toward the development of tailored and effective treatment," says University at Buffalo School of Nursing Professor Yu-Ping Chang. "This would help the millions of caregivers receive the optimum sleep needed to protect their health and continue to provide quality care."