0717 Ageism and Insomnia: Examining the Relationship Between Negative Aging Stereotypes and Insomnia in Older Adults

Abstract Introduction Although insomnia symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbances, daytime complaints) are more prevalent in older age, poor sleep is not guaranteed in older adulthood. Preliminary research has found a relationship between an individual’s greater awareness of age-related changes and poor sleep; however, more research is needed to observe this relationship in insomnia and aging stereotypes. Using data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans, the present study sought to characterize the relationship between negative aging stereotypes and clinical insomnia symptoms. Methods Participants (N=3,000) were older veterans (aged 60-99) who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). Participants reported their insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]), sleep disturbance (ISI Factor 1 [items1,2,3]), and daytime dysfunction (ISI Factor 2 [items4,5,6,7]). Negative aging stereotypes were assessed using a 3-item Expectations Regarding Aging scale, which assessed negative stereotypes related to emotional, physical, and cognitive aging. Sociodemographic characteristics, mental health and medical conditions, traumatic life events, physical activity, disability, and psychotropic medication use were also assessed. Results Veterans who screened positive for clinical insomnia (n=213; weighted 7.1%) scored significantly higher on measures of negative stereotypes regarding emotional (p<.001), physical (p=.003), and cognitive (p=.013) aging. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that, after adjusting for a broad range of sociodemographic, trauma, and health covariates, greater endorsement of negative stereotypes regarding emotional aging was associated with significantly greater odds of screening positive for clinical insomnia (OR=1.57, 95%CI=1.24-1.99, p<.001), as well as higher rates of sleep disturbance (OR=1.54, 95%CI=1.28-1.86, p<.001) and daytime dysfunction (OR=1.67, 95%CI=1.40-2.00, p<.001). Relative to veterans who fully rejected aging stereotypes, those who somewhat and fully endorsed them were 3- and 6-times more likely to screen positive for clinical insomnia, respectively (predicted probabilities=0.10 and 0.18 vs. 0.03). Conclusion Negative aging stereotypes, especially emotional aging, were related to clinical insomnia symptoms in a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans aged 60+. These findings suggest that efforts to modify aging stereotypes in older veterans may help improve overall sleep quality, or alternatively, that addressing clinical insomnia may help mitigate negative aging stereotypes. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate interrelationships between these measures over time. Support (if any)