2016 Volume 21 Issue 1 Pages 19-27
We investigated for one year the sleep-state of elderly people requiring long-term care in a special nursing home in the Hokuriku region of Japan, using mattress-type sleep monitors. A total of 15 participants were recruited and their data were recorded over one year and analyzed. The 15 participants comprised 4 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 85.4 ± 8.6 years. Their average length of stay in the nursing home was 4 years. In terms of level of required care, three participants required level-1 care, eight required level-2 care, and four required level-3 care.
Throughout the year of data collection, the average sleep-onset time was 7:19 p.m., demonstrating that participants were likely to go to bed immediately after dinner. The average wake-up time was 6:23 a.m., and the average sleeping duration was 11 h and 5 min. The proportions of light, deep, and REM sleep were 66%, 4%, and 17% of the sleeping hours, respectively. In terms of seasonal differences in sleep-state, sleep-onset time was earlier and waking time was later in winter, compared with those in summer, resulting in longer sleeping hours in winter. However, because a longer interrupted sleep and a shorter REM sleep were recorded in winter, the quality of sleep in winter was lower than that in summer, despite the longer sleeping hours. In conclusion, results suggest that the residents would benefit from staying awake longer after dinner, resting in sunlight, and having a warmer bedroom in winter.
