Caregivers 'struggle to sleep'

The sleep patterns of elderly caregivers are significantly worse than other older adults, a new study has found.

Research published in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine revealed adults who take care of someone with dementia take longer to fall asleep and have less total sleep than non-caregivers.

Caregivers were found to get an average of 6.5 hours sleep per night, 33 minutes less than their non-caregiving counterparts.

The study also found caregivers were more sleepy during the day and recorded higher depressive symptom scores.

Chief researcher Meredith Rowe said: "Depression was the primary determinant of poor sleep with depressed subjects reporting less time asleep and more wake time over the week."

Dr Rowe said the most surprising aspect of the study was the fact caregivers took longer to fall asleep, possibly as the result of lying awake worrying.

She said they had expected the main problem to be more wake time in the middle of the night when carers were providing supervision to the dementia sufferer.

An uncomfortable mattress can make falling to sleep difficult. Tempur mattresses are designed to give a high level of support and a more comfortable night's sleep.

Classic Bed Company is the UK's premier bed store for ultimate comfort and luxury offering Tempur, Vi Spring, Willis Gambier, French sleigh beds and contemporary beds online