SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND USE OF HYPNOTICS IN AN ELDERLY URBAN-POPULATION

To investigate the characteristics and subjective quality of sleep, th e use of hypnotics and their correlates in an urban elderly population , a structured interview was administered to a stratified random sampl e of 600 elderly subjects in five age groups. Interrupted sleep and na pping were common; nonetheless, 88% of the subjects considered their s leep at least satisfactory. According to specific criteria, 17% were g ood, 72% moderate and 11% poor sleepers. Habitual insomnia was reporte d by 12% of the subjects. Quality of sleep did not differ between age groups or genders. Hypnotics were habitually used by 8% of the men and 25% of the women. Consumption increased with age in both sexes, and 7 7% of the hypnotics were benzodiazepines. In multivariate regression a nalyses, insomnia and habitual use of hypnotics were associated with p oor health, but only the latter with age and gender. As a conclusion, most of the subjects considered their sleep satisfactory, and aging it self did not seem to have an effect on the quality of sleep. The use o f hypnotics was common, more prevalent in women and increased with age . Aging and poor health were independently associated with the use of hypnotics, but not with poor quality of sleep or insomnia.