WHAT DO OLDER GOOD AND POOR SLEEPERS DO DURING PERIODS OF NOCTURNAL WAKEFULNESS - THE SLEEP BEHAVIORS SCALE- 60+

To determine whether older good and poor sleepers with and without ins omnia complaints differ in the nature of activities they engage in dur ing periods of nocturnal wakefulness, the authors developed and evalua ted the Sleep Behaviors Scale: 60+. Good sleepers (n = 163), low-distr ess poor sleepers (n = 49), and high-distress poor sleepers (n = 28) w ere compared on this measure as well as on sleep parameters, personali ty, lifestyle, and cognitive-affective variables. Findings indicate go od psychometric properties for the new measure, offer a rationale for examining the frequency of the nocturnal behaviors reflected by the me asure's 4 subscales (Active Behaviors, Relaxation, Cognitive Arousal, and Medication), and suggest a possible role for these behaviors in th e etiology and treatment of insomnia.