Impaired Sleep: A Multifaceted Geriatric Syndrome.

Impaired sleep increases in prevalence in older adults, with multiple possible causes that can interact with each other and can lead to poor health outcomes. This article describes normal changes in sleep with aging, sleep disorders that increase in prevalence in older adults, medications and sleep, and medical conditions and psychosocial conditions associated with impaired sleep. In addition, a brief assessment that nurses could use to assess for impaired sleep and nonpharmacologic interventions to improve sleep are discussed.