UNPLANNED AND EXTENDED NAPPING AMONG OLDER ADULTS: FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND PREDICTORS

Poor sleep is associated with negative health outcomes among older adults, yet little is known about napping in this population and research has not distinguished between planned and spontaneous naps, or duration. This study examines napping using a retrospective cohort of Medicare beneficiaries >65 years of age enrolled in year four of National Health and Aging Trends Study who reported regular napping (n=1,016). Regressions examined the relationships between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and napping outcomes, specifically unplanned or extended (i.e., >60 minutes) naps. Survey weighting was used for all analyses. Among Medicare beneficiaries who nap, 58.7% reported unplanned naps and 18.5% regularly take extended naps. Unplanned napping was associated with older age, non-white race, non-married status, poorer self-reported health, and shorter nighttime sleep duration. For example, individuals 75–84 years of age had 2.1 higher odds of unplanned naps compared to those aged 65–74. Male sex, poorer self-reported health, and a greater number of chronic conditions were associated with higher odds of extended naps. Those with the worst self-reported health were 2.8 times more likely to take long naps than those reporting the best health. Pain and depression were not associated with either outcome. We found that ~4.3 million older adults in the U.S. regularly nap without meaning to, and ~1.4 million individuals routinely took extended naps. Furthermore, different constellations of risk factors are associated with unplanned and extended napping. Research examining the impact of unplanned and extended napping is warranted to optimize sleep and other health outcomes.