Purpose: This secondary analysis examined the effect of excessive sleepiness on daytime function in older adults with diabetes from the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep and Aging poll.
Methods: Respondents were older adults (N = 1506; age range, 55-84 years) evaluated by telephone survey on their sleep duration, sleep disturbances, daytime functional outcomes, and self-reported height, weight, and comorbidities.
Results: Approximately 16% (n = 244) of the sample acknowledged a diagnosis of diabetes; they were older, had more comorbidities, had a higher body mass index (BMI), and were more likely to be sleepy during the daytime than nondiabetic respondents (all P < .05). Respondents with diabetes who reported frequent daytime sleepiness (n = 50; 20%) had significantly (P < .05) higher BMI, lower self-rated health, and more sleep disturbances than those who were not sleepy (n = 194). Sleepy respondents with diabetes also reported more frequent feelings of depression, decreased pleasure in life, naps, feeling drowsy, or dozing off while driving (all P < .05). Excessive sleepiness was significantly associated (P < .001) with an increased risk for depressive symptoms while controlling for BMI, age, and number of comorbidities.
Conclusions: These results indicate that sleep disturbances affect not only sleep quality but also daytime function in older adults with diabetes.