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The relationship between objectively measured sleep disturbance and dementia family caregiver distress and burden JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROLOGY Beaudreau, S. A., Spira, A. P., Gray, H. L., Depp, C. A., Long, J., Rothkopf, M., Gallagher-Thompson, D. 2008; 21 (3): 159-165

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether distress and burden were associated with objective measures of sleep disturbance in dementia caregivers. Using wrist actigraphy, sleep was measured in 60 female, Caucasian dementia family caregivers (mean age, 64.8 years). Caregivers completed questionnaires about demographics, health, depression, duration of caregiving and care recipient nighttime behavior. Care recipients completed a mental status exam. We investigated whether these measures were associated with actigraphic sleep parameters. Greater depressive symptoms among caregivers were associated with poorer sleep efficiency. Older caregiver age and poorer self-rated health were associated with longer time in bed. Sleep disturbance, which is common among dementia caregivers, might be an important index of caregiver distress (ie, depression) but might not be associated with burden (based on the care recipient's general cognitive impairment or nighttime awakenings.).

View details for DOI 10.1177/0891988708316857

View details for Web of Science ID 000259164100001

View details for PubMedID 18503035