Newly published research suggests that the ideal ambient night-time temperature for older adults to achieve a restful sleep is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. The study discovered that as the bedroom temperature rose to 30 degrees Celsius, sleep efficiency in older adults aged 65 years or above dropped by 5-10 percent. It is worth noting that there were significant variations among the individuals studied.
The long-term impact of reduced sleep quality has been linked to cognitive decline and dementia in older adults. Additionally, it can negatively affect mood, making individuals irritable and less productive during the day.
By recognising the influence of the sleep environment on older adults' health, researchers and healthcare providers can develop more effective interventions. This study sheds light on the importance of considering environmental factors in improving sleep quality among older adults, ultimately enhancing their overall health and well-being.
According to the study conducted by the Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, optimizing home thermal environments could potentially enhance sleep quality in older adults. The study emphasizes the importance of personalized temperature adjustments based on individual needs and circumstances.
From a climate adaptation perspective, these findings are significant as cities are expected to become warmer due to a combination of climate change and urban-induced warming.
"The study underscores the potential impact of climate change on sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status, and supports increasing their adaptive capacity as nighttime temperatures increase in cities across the country," said Amir Baniassadi, lead researcher of the study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
As older adults often struggle with inadequate and disrupted sleep, their overall health, particularly in managing diabetes and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, can be significantly affected. While medical and behavioral interventions have been extensively studied, the potential impact of environmental interventions on sleep quality has been largely overlooked. Recognizing the importance of the sleep environment, a long-term observational study was conducted to explore the relationship between sleep and the elderly.
The study involved 50 community-dwelling older adults, with sleep and environmental data collected over a period of 212 nights. In total, a staggering 10,903 person-nights of data were analyzed to understand sleep duration, efficiency, and restlessness within participants' homes.
The study emphasised the need for further research to identify sleep-related outcomes that have the greatest impact on the short and long-term health and well-being of older adults. Specifically, researchers aimed to determine which sleep-related outcome is most strongly associated with the rate of long-term cognitive decline. Understanding these links could help researchers and healthcare providers tailor environmental interventions to target the most significant sleep-related outcomes.
