MELBOURNE, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Sleep disturbances common in older people can lead to an increased risk of falling during waking hours, according to Australian researchers.
The team of Melbourne researchers found a link between falls and a poor quality of nighttime sleep using a sample group of 300 individuals over the age of 65. Fewer falls were reported by those participants without any sleep disturbances, according to the study published in The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Other articles in the special section of the journal outline the latest methods in evaluating and addressing sleep patterns among nursing home residents. These can be less invasive tools than traditional polysomnography, allowing for observations in a more natural setting.
