According to a study carried out by the UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) in collaboration with FioCruz Minas, women are susceptible to all types of insomnia. In addition, having more than one chronic disease and not eating fruits and vegetables also influences this.

Being a woman may cause a greater risk of insomnia – Photo: Freepik/Disclosure/ND

The analysis shows that up to 58.6% of the country’s population over 60 years of age suffer from insomnia. The entire study used data from ELSI-Brazil (Longitudinal Study of the Health of Elderly People in Brazil).

Elsie is representative of the Brazilian population and began in 2015. However, the study is based on 2019 figures.

The event was attended by approximately 6,929 people aged 60 years and older in approximately 70 municipalities of the country in all regions.

The study was conducted with the participation of 60-year-old women.

The study began during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Interest in studying sleep problems arose during the pandemic, when older people reported that they were sleeping very poorly,” says professor and researcher at UFSC Araranguá Núbia Carelli Pereira de Avelar, lecturer in the physiotherapy course.

The article discusses several types of typology of sleep changes:

• For example, insomnia may be incipient when it comes to difficulty falling asleep;
• Intermediate, when a person wakes up, it is difficult for him to fall asleep, but he falls asleep again;
• And finally, when a person wakes up very early and can no longer fall asleep.

The professor claims that sleep complaints predominate among women. “Women are more likely to experience early, intermediate, and all-time insomnia and have poorer quality of sleep,” he explains.

Nubia explains that this may be due to work overload, from household chores to caring for other family members. In addition, she notes that in Brazil there are more women over 60 than men.

“Usually these women are single, widowed or lonely. It is already known that loneliness is also associated with sleep problems,” he says.

The study was published in the journal Cadernos de Saúde Pública and looks at this phenomenon from a biological perspective. Because hormonal changes, observed mainly in women, can disrupt the regulation of a circuit that plays a fundamental role in regulating sleep.

In addition, the study shows that the most common sleep problems among older people in Brazil were various types of insomnia: (45.9% to 58.6%), followed by daytime sleepiness (38.4%) and poor sleep quality (15.6%).

“The increase in the prevalence of sleep problems in older adults over the past decade may be due to increased use of smartphones before bed, which increases sleep latency and leads to initial insomnia,” the researchers justify.

Nubia points out that the data is concerning and surprised the team. Yes, six out of every ten older adults suffer from some form of insomnia. “The data is alarming,” he emphasizes.

Eating fruits, vegetables and alcohol affects insomnia

Eating fruits, vegetables and alcohol may be associated with sleep problems in people aged 60 years and older.

Therefore, people who do not consume daily servings of fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to poor sleep quality, the study found.

People who don’t consume daily portions of fruits and vegetables are more likely to have poor sleep quality – Photo: Freepik/Disclosure/ND

According to Nubia, these foods are sources of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and flavonoids. These substances contain biologically active ingredients that improve heart rate balance and, as a result, sleep quality.

Drinking alcohol once a month or more was initially associated with a lower risk of insomnia. Despite this, the study warns that the drink tends to reduce rapid eye movement during sleep and shift the sleep-wake cycle.

Therefore, drinking alcohol can lead to poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.

It’s important to consider the impact of alcohol consumption, which leads to another record already recognized by science: red wine is rich in flavonoids and contains antioxidants that improve sleep quality, a study indicates.

Good sleep quality affects sleep

The survey recorded the presence of two or more chronic diseases in people aged 60 years and older. The findings are consistent with previous studies that showed the presence of two or more chronic diseases associated with insomnia in Germany and China.

“Additionally, medications used to treat chronic conditions, such as bronchodilators, beta blockers, central nervous system stimulants, and cardiovascular medications, may contribute to insomnia,” the researchers wrote in the analysis.

The scientists who signed the paper emphasize that the collected results provide valuable information to support public health policies and strategies aimed at improving sleep health in older adults.

“The results of this study show a high prevalence of sleep problems among older adults in Brazil, highlighting the need for targeted public health interventions to address this problem,” they conclude.