Insomnia in elderly people.

An elderly man presented with chronic sleep problems that had recently worsened. He had evidence of disseminated vascular disease with residual left-sided weakness following a stroke. The examination was otherwise unremarkable, but his metabolic profile revealed electrolyte and vitamin deficiencies and an elevated parathyroid hormone level. Electrolytes and vitamins are critical for maintaining physiological balance. Facilitating sleep is especially important in older people for gait stability and sustaining emotional and physical health. Addressing these issues in this patient resulted in improvement, just as it should for other patients.