Are You at Risk For Insomnia?

Lack of sleep at night can lead to excessive sleepiness during the day. A 2006 study reported the following risk factors for excessive daytime sleepiness among the elderly:

• Male gender
• Sleep apnea or other sleep breathing disorders
• Nighttime chest wheezing
• Poor sleep quality
• Longer time spent in REM sleep
• More than 3 episodes of nighttime pain within a week
• Medications that cause sleepiness

Sleep loss among the elderly is not inevitable. While older people are more susceptible to many conditions that can cause insomnia, treatments and a healthy lifestyle, particularly regular exercises, are as useful in providing relief to the elderly as to the young. And, a number of studies have found no significant increase in insomnia in older healthy adults.

Shift Workers

Shift workers are at considerable risk for insomnia. In a major survey, 65% of shift workers reported one or more symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week. Workers over age 50 and those whose shifts are always changing are particularly susceptible to insomnia, although night-shift workers also have a high rate of sleeplessness. One study found that 53% of night-shift workers fall asleep on the job at least once a week, implying that their internal clocks do not adjust to unusual work times. (They are also at much higher risk than other workers for automobile accidents due to their drowsiness and may also have a higher risk for health problems in general.) A Japanese study reporting on different aspects of insomnia found that excessive computer work was associated with all forms of insomnia. People who were overinvolved with their work tended to have trouble falling asleep and they tended to awaken earlier than average.

Other Risk Factors

Among the many conditions that pose a high risk for insomnia are:

• Frequent travel, particularly crossing time lines
• Post-traumatic stress syndrome
• Brain injuries
• Many chronic medical conditions ranging from seemingly minor ones, such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) to major conditions, such as respiratory problems, heart disease, or being on dialysis