Sleep Patterns and Problems in Elderly General Practice Attenders: An Australian Survey

Abstract During 1983, interviews were conducted with 348 consecutive general practice patients, mean age 74 years, attending 31 practices in city and country areas of New South Wales, Australia. Disturbances in initiating and maintaining sleep were experienced by one‐third to one‐half of respondents. Twenty per cent of respondents felt they had a problem with sleeping at night and a further seventeen per cent felt they would have a problem if they did not take tablets. Those with a sleep problem were more often depressed, or disturbed by a noisy neighbourhood or a recent upset or crisis than those without. Sleeping tablets were taken by twenty‐four per cent of respondents. The desirability of a detailed sleep history prior to prescribing sleeping tablets is emphasised.