Sleeping while Aging: Research Insights into the Complex Relationships of Sleep and Mental Health among Older Adults

Sleep disturbances are central to many psychiatric disorders and have clear implications for cognition, brain health and aging, though the neurobiological mechanisms connecting sleep and psychopathology are not well understood. Older adults have different sleep architecture as well as increased incidence of insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders compared to younger adults. However, age-related sleep problems are not part of “healthy aging” and warrant treatment to improve outcomes for older adults. Sleep is an important and potentially modifiable risk factor for depression, psychosis, cognitive health, and other important health-related outcomes.