Good routines may help sleep disorders

Israeli scientists have carried out new research into the connection between sleep patterns and daily routines among older people. Many older people experience worsening problems with sleep. In fact, more than half of older adults suffer from insomnia, often due to changing patterns as people age, of sleep and wakefulness.

The lead author of the study is Dr Anna Zisberg, assistant professor at the University of Haifa in Mount Carmel. She and her colleagues have published their report in the online issue of the journal Sleep. However, the conclusions are not definitive and further studies are needed to establish, for example, which way round it works - whether it is the routine that improves sleep or whether having a good night's sleep enables the person to keep to a better routine.

The Israeli study lasted from August 2007 to September 2008. The subjects ranged in age from 58 to 89 years, with an average age of 75 years and were all living independently in their own flats in two retirement communities in Israel. The researchers tested participants' daily routines on three fortnightly occasions, using a modified version of the Scale of Older Adults Routine (SOAR). Of the 96 participants, 89 completed all interviews and reached the final stage of the research. They also completed daily questionnaires relating to sleep quality and daily function and 33 had to keep a diary for six weeks.

All the information taken from the participants measured the amount of sleep they had and the mean efficiency of sleep - the time in bed meant for sleep that is actually used for that purpose. The mean total sleep efficency was 77.9 per cent and the mean sleep latency (time taken to get to sleep) is 37.5 minutes.

To assess routines the researchers studied participants' weekly patterns and daily activities. In conclusion, the researchers found a direct link between maintenance of daily routines and reduced insomnia. They found that daily rather than more occasional weekly routines had the most direct effect on quality of sleep, but recommended further studies to analyse the variables of culture, health and functional status upon the kind of results so far obtained.

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