Sleep disorders and aging

Abstract Sleep is a complex physiologic process that has highly preserved neurogenetic underpinnings stretching back hundreds of millions of years. The critical role of sleep in organism health is highlighted by the diversity of organisms that require at least some degree of quiescence to maintain physiologic function. While changes in sleep naturally occur over the life span—from neurodevelopment to natural senescence—there are enumerable factors that can adversely affect sleep. Moreover, sleep itself has a significant influence on the body’s ability to perform, affecting resiliency to disease and decompensating alongside psychiatric and medical illnesses. For this reason, deviations of sleep from the expected course may be a useful biomarker of mental and physical health, particularly in late life, where sleep disruptions tend to be more evident. In this chapter, we explore expected sleep changes in late life, followed by a characterization of common sleep-wake concerns and their relationship to physical and mental health.