Abstract
ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to explore the association between sleep and social disconnectedness by examining the role of global cognitive function in diverse samples of older adults. Methods Study 1 compared differences in social disconnectedness between older adults with clinical sleep disorders and healthy sleepers. Studies 2 and 3 examined the relationship between objective sleep and social disconnectedness in community-dwelling older adults from two independent datasets. In the three studies, we analyzed the moderating effect of global cognitive function in the association between objective sleep and social disconnectedness. Results Study 1 showed that older adults with clinical sleep disorders had greater social disconnectedness, among whom those with better cognition showed less influence of sleep disorder on social disconnectedness. Studies 2 and 3 showed that nocturnal awakening was robustly associated with social disconnectedness in community-dwelling older adults. Global cognitive function moderated this association, counteracting the negative effect of nocturnal awakening on social function. Conclusions These findings suggest a relationship between objective sleep, particularly nocturnal awakening, and social disconnectedness, and the compensatory role of global cognitive function. Clinical Implications Geriatric caregivers are encouraged to consider cognitive interventions to mitigate sleep-related, specifically excessive nocturnal awakening-related, social disconnectedness in older adults.
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