Association of Anxiety Symptom Clusters with Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness

Christine E. Gould, Adam P. Spira, Victoria Liou-Johnson, Erin Cassidy-Eagle, Makoto Kawai, Nehjla Mashal, Ruth O'Hara, Sherry A. Beaudreau

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives To better understand links between anxiety and sleep disturbances in older adults, we examined the association of different phenotypic presentations of anxiety (i.e., affective, cognitive, and somatic clusters) with global sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Methods 109 community-dwelling adults aged 66-92 years old (57% female) completed assessments of global sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), affective anxiety symptoms (Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS) affective subscale), cognitive anxiety symptoms (GAS cognitive subscale), and somatic anxiety symptoms (GAS somatic subscale). Results In hierarchical regression models adjusted for depressive symptoms and health status, greater affective and somatic anxiety were associated with poorer global sleep quality (affective B = 0.30, p =.01; somatic B = 0.41, p =.01). Somatic and cognitive anxiety were associated with greater daytime sleepiness (somatic B = 0.74, p <.001; cognitive B = 0.30, p =.03), but these associations were attenuated by covariates added to the models. Discussion These findings indicate that anxiety symptom clusters are differentially associated with specific sleep-related disturbances, underscoring the complex relationship of late-life anxiety to sleep. Results suggest that personalized treatments, such as targeted sleep interventions, may improve specific anxiety-symptom domains, or vice versa.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)413-420
Number of pages8
JournalJournals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Volume73
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2 2018

Keywords

  • Affective
  • Cognitive
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Somatic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

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