Sleep in ageing women

A study of how patterns of sleep change with age, the kind of sleep problems common among women aged 40 and over, how these problems affect their lives, and what strategies and treatments they use to overcome them. 

Start date

September 2003

End date

July 2006

Overview

This project aimed to investigate:

The effect of ageing on sleep patterns for women aged 40 and over
The nature of sleep problems experienced by these women
The impact of these problems on women's daily lives
The strategies and treatments women use to overcome sleep problems.

It employed a multi-method approach, including 15 focus groups (N=124), in-depth interviews (N=35), audio sleep diaries (N=35), and a national postal questionnaire (N=1500).