For older adults, optimum sleep takes place at bedroom temperature levels in between 68 to 77 ° F, with sleep effectiveness dropping at greater temperatures. A brand-new study emphasizes the function of the sleeping environment and the potential effects of environment modification on senior sleep quality.
Nighttime ambient temperature plays a pivotal role in sleep quality for older adults; research study underscores potential effect of climate modification on sleep quality in the aging population.
When the nighttime bed room ambient temperature ranges between 68 to 77 ° F, New research study finds that sleep can be most peaceful and effective for older adults.
The authors observed a general pattern: a 5-10 % drop in sleep efficiency as the nighttime ambient temperature level increases from 77 ° F to 86 ° F. Importantly, this research study likewise reveals substantial between-individual differences in optimal bedroom temperature level.
” These outcomes highlight the possible to enhance sleep quality in older adults by optimizing home thermal environments and stressing the significance of customized temperature level modifications based on private requirements and scenarios,” stated lead scientist Amir Baniassadi, PhD, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School.
” Additionally, the study highlights the prospective effect of climate modification on sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status, and supports increasing their adaptive capability as nighttime temperature levels increase in cities throughout the country,” Baniassadi said.
Research Study Details and Findings
Utilizing wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors, scientists monitored sleep duration, effectiveness, and restlessness over an extended period within participants homes while managing for possible confounders and covariates. The study collected nearly 11,000 person-nights of sleep and environmental data from 50 older adults.
The findings were published in the post, “Nighttime ambient temperature and sleep in community-dwelling older grownups,” published in Science of The Total Environment. Authors were Amir Baniassadi; Brad Manor, PhD, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School; Wanting Yu, ME, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife; Thomas Travison, PhD, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School; and Lewis Lipsitz, MD, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School.
The Wider Context of Sleep in Older Adults
Older adults often experience inadequate, uneasy, and disrupted sleep which in turn affects lots of outcomes associated with their health and well-being such as physical and cognitive function, mood and affect, irritation and response to tension, efficiency, diabetes management, and risk of heart diseases. Bad sleep is disproportionately more typical among older adults. Research study on its causes has been primarily focused on behavioral and physiological aspects regardless of evidence recommending that the environment the individual sleeps in can be as prominent.
As a result, while numerous medical and behavioral interventions have been developed to enhance results associated with sleep, the potential of ecological interventions has been mainly neglected. Within this context, the link in between home ambient temperature level and sleep among older grownups can be a prospective target for enhancing sleep, which motivated the researchers to perform this study. The authors prepare to continue this type of work by focusing on the possible effect of environment modification on sleep in low-income older grownups and establishing interventions to optimize their environment.
Reference: “Nighttime ambient temperature and sleep in community-dwelling older adults” by Amir Baniassadi, Brad Manor, Wanting Yu, Thomas Travison and Lewis Lipsitz, 19 July 2023, Science of The Total Environment.DOI: 10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2023.165623.
This study was supported by TMCITY foundation. Additionally, Baniassadi acknowledges support from a T32 fellowship through the U.S. National Institute on Aging (T32AG023480).
Using wearable sleep monitors and environmental sensors, researchers monitored sleep duration, efficiency, and uneasyness over a prolonged period within individuals homes while controlling for prospective confounders and covariates. The study collected nearly 11,000 person-nights of sleep and ecological data from 50 older grownups. Within this context, the link between home ambient temperature and sleep among older grownups can be a prospective target for improving sleep, which encouraged the scientists to perform this research study. The authors plan to continue this line of work by focusing on the potential impact of environment modification on sleep in low-income older grownups and developing interventions to enhance their environment.
By Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research Study
September 1, 2023
