Helping Seniors Catch Some Zs
May 10, 2004(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Older adults who have trouble sleeping may be able to catch more Zs, thanks to a new drug.
Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., studied more than 250 patients 65 years or older. Patients received either the drug eszopiclone, also called Estorra, or a placebo. All patients kept sleep diaries that they wrote in every night for two weeks.
Results show patients who were treated with eszopiclone fell asleep faster, stayed asleep longer, and did not need as many naps throughout the day as those on placebo. Those treated with eszopiclone also reported an improved quality of life.
Researchers say this study was particularly significant because it examined insomnia in older adults -- a population that experiences more sleep disturbances.
W. Vaughn McCall, M.D., says, “The elderly are more easily awakened by noise, pain or light and tend to have difficulty sleeping for extended periods and achieving deep, restful sleep states. As a result, elderly adults often get less sleep than they need, leading to increased napping or diminished next-day functioning, which can impact their quality of life.”
About 40 million people in the United States suffer from insomnia.
SOURCE: Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in New York City, May 1-6, 2004
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