Sleep complaints in the geriatric patient
Mahowald, M.W.; Bornemann, M.A.C.
Minnesota Medicine 90(10): 45-47
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-556X PMID: 18038743 Document Number: 612399
Difficulty sleeping is a frequent complaint of elderly patients. But poor sleep is not a normal part of aging. This article discusses the most common sleep problem among older adults-insomnia, its causes, and potential treatments including over-the-counter and prescription medications and behavioral treatments such as relaxation therapy, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, sleep restriction, and cognitive and behavioral therapies.