Informal Care and Sleep Disturbance Among Caregivers in Paid Work: Longitudinal Analyses From a Large Community-Based Swedish Cohort Study.

Lawrence B Sacco,Loretta G Platts,Constanze Leineweber

doi:10.1093/sleep/zsx198

Lawrence B Sacco, Loretta G Platts + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsx198

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Journal: Sleep	Publication Date: Dec 8, 2017
Citations: 18	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: King's College London, Stockholm University

Abstract

Study ObjectivesTo examine cross-sectionally and prospectively whether informal caregiving is related to sleep disturbance among caregivers in paid work.MethodsParticipants (N = 21604) in paid work from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. Sleeping problems were measured with a validated scale of sleep disturbance (Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire). Random-effects modeling was used to examine the cross-sectional association between informal caregiving (self-reports: none, up to 5 hours per week, over 5 hours per week) and sleep disturbance. Potential sociodemographic and health confounders were controlled for and interactions between caregiving and gender included. Longitudinal random-effects modeling of the effects of changes in reported informal caregiving upon sleep disturbance and change in sleep disturbance was performed.ResultsIn multivariate analyses controlling for sociodemographics, health factors, and work hours, informal caregiving was associated cross-sectionally with sleep disturbance in a dose–response relationship (compared with no caregiving, up to 5 hours of caregiving: β = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06, and over 5 hours: β = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.13), results which varied by gender. Cessation of caregiving was associated with reductions in sleep disturbance (β = −0.08; 95% CI: −0.13, −0.04).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence for a causal association of provision of informal care upon self-reported sleep disturbance. Even low-intensity care provision was related to sleep disturbance among this sample of carers in paid work. The results highlight the importance of addressing sleep disturbance in caregivers.

Highlights

Sleeping problems are common: in Swedish adults aged 18–84, insomnia disorder, that is, insomnia symptoms and daytime consequences, has an estimated prevalence of around 10.5% and symptoms of insomnia are reported by one-quarter of the population [1]
In multivariate analyses controlling for sociodemographics, health factors, and work hours, informal caregiving was associated cross-sectionally with sleep disturbance in a dose–response relationship, results which varied by gender
Even low-intensity care provision was related to sleep disturbance among this sample of carers in paid work

Summary

Introduction

Sleeping problems are common: in Swedish adults aged 18–84, insomnia disorder, that is, insomnia symptoms and daytime consequences, has an estimated prevalence of around 10.5% and symptoms of insomnia are reported by one-quarter of the population [1]. One likely important cause of sleep disturbance is provision of informal care to an elderly, ill, or disabled person. Informal care is assistance provided by people from the intimate environment of the dependent person, who do not receive any training or economic compensation. It is common: in the United States, 16.6% of adults [7] and in Sweden, 10.9% of adults [8] are currently informal carers, rates that are expected to increase in line with population aging and cut-backs in publicly funded care [9]. It is probable that the intensity and duration of care provision determine whether and to what degree caring has a positive or negative impact on the caregiver

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Conclusion