7.17.2007
Aging Women with Memory Concerns More Likely to Suffer Insomnia
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Accrording to a study led by Dr. Kristina Yaffe (UCSF), older women with memory problems are more likely to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep than those without memory loss, the study reports.
The study included almost 2,500 women, average age 69, with no signs of memory problems at the start of the study. They underwent cognitive tests over a period of 15 years and, at the end of the study, were assessed for sleep problems.
Women who showed signs of mental decline on the tests "were nearly twice as likely to have difficulty staying asleep and one-and-a-half times as likely to have problems falling asleep and being awake for more than 90 minutes during their sleep cycle," study author Dr. Yaffe.
"Women who declined on one of the tests were also nearly twice as likely to nap more than two hours a day," Yaffe said.
The study included almost 2,500 women, average age 69, with no signs of memory problems at the start of the study. They underwent cognitive tests over a period of 15 years and, at the end of the study, were assessed for sleep problems.
Women who showed signs of mental decline on the tests "were nearly twice as likely to have difficulty staying asleep and one-and-a-half times as likely to have problems falling asleep and being awake for more than 90 minutes during their sleep cycle," study author Dr. Yaffe.
"Women who declined on one of the tests were also nearly twice as likely to nap more than two hours a day," Yaffe said.
Labels: aging, insomnia, memory loss
