The Relationship Between Sleep and Anxiety in Older Adults

Anxiety and sleep problems are major barriers to healthy aging and are frequently comorbid conditions in older adults. In the current review, we present recent advances in understanding the extensive overlap among older adults between anxiety and one specific related sleep problem, insomnia. These proposals suggest that anxiety and insomnia may share a common vulnerability to negative emotionality and at times may act as risk factors for each other in older adults. We also highlight developmental shifts in motivation that are likely to impact cognitive-behavioral mechanisms of anxiety and insomnia. Finally, we characterize the current state of treatment for comorbid anxiety and insomnia among older adults and identify future directions for research and clinical practice.