Sleep Problems of Older People in Bangladesh

Abstract

Sleep is a vital physiological process with important restorative functions. The proportion of older people is increasing, and many of them experience sleep problems which increase the risk of accidents, falls, and chronic fatigue. The dual purposes of this study, which was conducted in two southern districts of Bangladesh, were to evaluate older people’s sleep problems and to investigate the relationship between this problem and socio-demographic characteristics. Data were collected from 280 older people via the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS-5). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic and sleep problem data. One way classification of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare different groups of older people with different socio-demographic characteristics. Almost all (87.9%) of the participants reported having severe sleep problems. Being widowed, being illiterate, living in a nuclear family, and having a low income were found to be significant factors associated with older people’s sleep problems. The identification of further factors that affect older people’s sleep problems is recommended to inform improved assessment of sleep problems and the development of prevention and treatment programs.