Prevalence and Associations of Sleep Treatment Use in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Over 50% of older adults have complaints of insomnia. Multiple factors have been suspected to impact older adults' ability to obtain sufficient sleep including medical illness and polypharmacy, psychiatric disorders, psychosocial changes and environmental changes associated with age. Use of sleep treatments is common and may have deleterious effects. In this study we examined the prevalence and associations between self-reported sleep treatments: over the counter medications, prescription medications, alternative medications, behavioral techniques, and alcohol for sleep.