Protecting sleep quality in later life: A pilot study of bed restriction and sleep hygiene

We tested two interventions for improving sleep consolidation and depth in normal elderly participants: a modification of sleep-restriction therapy an d sleep-hygiene education. Twenty-one elderly participants without sleep di sorders were randomized to sleep hygiene plus bed restriction (i.e., restri cting time in bed by 30 minutes nightly for one year) or to sleep hygiene a lone. Participants in the bed-restriction group showed a median increase in sleep efficiency of 6.1% versus 1.8% in participants receiving sleep hygie ne instruction, and an increase in all-night delta EEG power. Self-reported mood on awakening in the morning showed greater improvement over the first eight weeks in the sleep-hygiene condition. The use of sleep hygiene was a ssociated with initial improvement in daytime well-being, whereas bed restr iction led to sustained improvements in sleep continuity and sleep depth.