Insomnia: Diagnosis and Treatment

The prevalence of sleep complaints rises with increasing age,1,2 and the consequences of sleep disturbance can be particularly troubling in the older population. Older individuals with disturbed sleep have difficulty sustaining attention, slower response times, and problems with memory on neuropsychological tests.3-5 They also report more daytime sleepiness, fatigue, low energy levels, and depression.6-8 Older adults with disturbed sleep are more likely to use over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription hypnotic medications inappropriately, and have a higher risk of nighttime falls. Overall, ol...