Mayo Clinic Study of Aging Examines the Frequency of Key Sleep Disorders

In this study with 892 participants, reporting over time about sleep as well as other variables, 59% were shown to have at least one symptom suggestive of a major sleep disorder. In order of most-often reported to least-often reported were symptoms of Sleep-Related Leg Cramps, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome. This large number of study participants provided information also verified by someone who could report on their typical sleep behavior, adding to the accuracy of the findings. This substantial percentage suggests the need for diagnosis and treatment of sleep-related disorders in an aging population.