Relationship between Sleep Disturbance and Polypharmacy among Hospitalized Elderly

Abstract

Background Aging induces many changes in sleep architecture, many studies suggests that older adults are particularly vulnerable (1) . Although changes in sleep architecture are to be expected with increasing age, age itself does not result in disturbed sleep. But it is the ability to sleep that decreases with age, which may be due to other associated factors with aging (2) . Sleep disturbance is common in older adults because aging is associated with an increasing prevalence of multiple morbidities and polypharmacy (3) . Medication use is another factor that may increase risk for sleep disturbances in older adults. Polypharmacy may also contribute to heightened risk for sleep disturbance in older adults (3) . Polypharmacy is associated with adverse outcomes including mortality, falls, adverse drug reactions, increased length of stay in hospital and readmission to hospital soon after discharge (4) . The risk of adverse effects and harm increases with increasing numbers of medications (5) . The use of multiple drugs more than 5 drugs is defined by many authors as polypharmacy (6) . Polypharmacy is really common as age-related morbidities increase, putting the elderly at risk for drug-drug and drugdisease interactions (7) .