Preprint · Jan 2026
Sleep Disorders in Older Adults: Prevalence, Sex Differences, and Public Health Implications: A Scoping Review
By Eckhoff WR
Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among older adults and represent an important public health concern due to their associations with multimorbidity, cognitive decline, functional impairment, and mortality. Age-related changes in sleep architecture—including reduced sleep efficiency, increased awakenings, and altered circadian rhythms—contribute to higher rates of insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, and other sleep pathologies in later life. The present review seeks to synthesize current review, observational, and experimental literature characterizing sleep disorders in adults aged ≥65 years, focusing on prevalence patterns, key clinical subtypes (e.g., insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea [OSA], circadian rhythm disturbances), and documented health implications; with particular attention given to emerging prevalence data, sex differences, and links with cognitive and chronic disease outcomes.