Effective treatments for age-related sleep disturbances

Fundamental changes in sleep patterns are associated with normal aging, but disturbed sleep with resultant daytime sleepiness and fatigue is an extrem ely common occurrence among older persons and a frequent catalyst for physi cian visits. Sleep disorders result from multiple factors-including pharmac ologic, physiologic, biologic, and behavioral-and can be mildly debilitatin g or life-threatening Diagnosis includes consideration of the presence of p hysical or mental illness, drug and/or alcohol use or abuse, a: primary sle ep disorder such as sleep-disordered breathing or periodic limb movements d uring sleep, changes in circadian rhythms, or poor sleep hygiene. Despite a high rate of use, hypnotics are best suited for periodic rather than, chro nic sleep disorder symptoms and, in general, should be used only after adju stments in sleep hygiene prove unsuccessful as first-line therapy.