Chronic Sleep Deprivation in a 75-year-old Female Leading to Increased Falls and a Daytime Microsleeps

Falls in the elderly is an ongoing problem and is one of the leading causes for trips to the emergency room, hospitalizations, serious injuries, and expensive health care costs. However, many times the relationship between sleep quality and falls oftentimes is overlooked. Here we present a case of a 75-year-old female admitted for sustaining 4-5 falls per day for many years that was ultimately found to be due to chronic sleep deprivation. She was treated with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) for her complex sleep apnea and hypercarbia. Subsequent follow-up revealed significant decrease in her number of daily falls down to <1 per day. This case further adds to the data showing a link between treating sleep apnea in the elderly and a reduction in falls. Abbreviations : CT – computed tomography ; CPAP – continuous positive airway pressure ; EPAP – expiratory positive airway pressure ; Lpm – liters per minute ; MSLT – multi-sleep latency test ; NIPPV – non-invasive positive pressure ventilation ; OSA – obstructive sleep apnea ; PFTs – pulmonary function tests ; Pmax – pressure max ; REI – respiratory event index ; REM – rapid eye movement ; SpO2 – oxygen saturation