Sleep and aging

The goal of this article is to focus on some aspects that the authors consider relevant for clinical practice and for defining a future research agenda and not so much to give a complete review on all aspects of sleep and aging. The world population is aging, and the aging population is rapidly changing. There are important differences among younger-old and older-old persons, with sex specificity. New lifestyles, work, and familial and social habits can alter circadian rhythms, even in elderly persons. In the last 2 decades, sleep deficiency and hypersomnolence became important concerns of everyday life. These problems are having a “human impact” (), a relatively new concept that is a synthesis between health and social impact. This concept can be applicable to problems such as the environment and climate and can be used to develop programs and decisions on human health and welfare. In aging, “subjective” and “objective” sleep characteristics show several differences between men and women. Such aspects need to be deeply investigated for tailoring diagnostic and therapeutic interventions according to sex and gender. Studies have focused on the relationship between sleep and the preclinical phases of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. Sleep disturbances may be present at the earliest stages of neurodegeneration or neuroinflammation: growing epidemiological data have demonstrated that sleep disturbances can be considered a risk factor for dementia. Greater attention to sleep since midlife and among older adults can offer new opportunities for multidomain interventions for the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders and other chronic conditions.