Sleep Apnea and Nocturnal Myoclonus in a Senior Population

Studies have suggested that sleep apnea is especially prevalent among seniors. We recruited and recorded senior volunteers who reported symptoms raising suspicion of sleep apnea or nocturnal myoclonus. Of 24 subjects, 62.5% had one of these disorders-six had sleep apnea alone, three had sleep apnea and nocturnal myoclonus, ans six had nocturnal myoclonus alone. Sleep stages were also analyzed. Subjects with sleep apnea and/or nocturnal myoclonus had significantly less rapid eye movement sleep, significantly more stage 1 sleep, and significantly more awakenings than other subjects. This sample suggests that the prevalence of sleep apnea and nocturnal myoclonus may be very substantial among seniors. Because of this high prevalence, extreme caution is needed in prescribing hypnotics for older patients with sleep complaints, since most hypnotics are respiratory depressants. We must rethink our approach to treating sleep disorders in the older population.