TY - JOUR
T1 - The relationship between objectively measured sleep disturbance and dementia family caregiver distress and burden
AU - Beaudreau, Sherry A.
AU - Spira, Adam P.
AU - Gray, Heather L.
AU - Long, James
AU - Rothkopf, Mark
AU - Gallagher-Thompson, Dolores
PY - 2008/9
Y1 - 2008/9
N2 - The aim of this study was to determine whether distress and burden were associated with objective measures of sleep disturbance in dementia caregivers. Using wrist actigraphy, sleep was measured in 60 female, Caucasian dementia family caregivers (mean age, 64.8 years). Caregivers completed questionnaires about demographics, health, depression, duration of caregiving and care recipient nighttime behavior. Care recipients completed a mental status exam. We investigated whether these measures were associated with actigraphic sleep parameters. Greater depressive symptoms among caregivers were associated with poorer sleep efficiency. Older caregiver age and poorer self-rated health were associated with longer time in bed. Sleep disturbance, which is common among dementia caregivers, might be an important index of caregiver distress (ie, depression) but might not be associated with burden (based on the care recipient's general cognitive impairment or nighttime awakenings.)
AB - The aim of this study was to determine whether distress and burden were associated with objective measures of sleep disturbance in dementia caregivers. Using wrist actigraphy, sleep was measured in 60 female, Caucasian dementia family caregivers (mean age, 64.8 years). Caregivers completed questionnaires about demographics, health, depression, duration of caregiving and care recipient nighttime behavior. Care recipients completed a mental status exam. We investigated whether these measures were associated with actigraphic sleep parameters. Greater depressive symptoms among caregivers were associated with poorer sleep efficiency. Older caregiver age and poorer self-rated health were associated with longer time in bed. Sleep disturbance, which is common among dementia caregivers, might be an important index of caregiver distress (ie, depression) but might not be associated with burden (based on the care recipient's general cognitive impairment or nighttime awakenings.)
KW - Actigraphy
KW - Caregiving
KW - Dementia
KW - Sleep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=49749115223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=49749115223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0891988708316857
DO - 10.1177/0891988708316857
M3 - Article
C2 - 18503035
AN - SCOPUS:49749115223
SN - 0891-9887
VL - 21
SP - 159
EP - 165
JO - Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology
JF - Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology
IS - 3
ER -