Sleep and Aging: Examining the Effect of Psychological Symptoms and Risk of Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Controversy exists as to whether self-reported sleep quality declines with age, despite changes in sleep being accepted as part of normal aging. This study sought to investigate age-related differences in self-reported sleep quality, after controlling for conditions that are common with age, such as psychological symptoms and increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to a sample of 582 community adults (aged 18–89 years), and the association between age and 3 factors of the PSQI (sleep efficiency, perceived sleep quality, and daily disturbance), and global scores, was examined controlling for depression, anxiety, stress, gender, and SDB risk. Results indicate that (a) before controlling for covariates, there was no significant relation between age and all indexes of self-reported sleep quality, with the exception of sleep efficiency. However, once depression, gender, and SDB risk were controlled for, a significant, yet small, relation wa...