Effects of music on sleep in healthy elderly and subjects with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type

Abstract

Alteration in sleep function of the elderly is associated with the aging process. Subjective sleep surveys of the elderly commonly reveal a general dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of sleep. The widespread utilization of sedative-hypnotic drugs in order to alleviate the sleeping complaints of the elderly probably rests on some untested assumptions made by physicians. Music has elicited some strong responses from subjects with Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT), when other means of communication has failed. Music of a serene nature has been shown to lessen anxiety and allow individuals to relax. This study investigates music as an adjunct or alternative to sedative-hypnotic drugs in inducing sleep in “healthy” elderly subjects and patients with SDAT A behavioral assessment chart of sleeping behavior was designed and utilized by nurses on the midnight shift. Combined analysis of variance for the number of hours asleep for all four groups yielded a significant relationship between the numbers of hours asleep and music. A paired comparison between control and experimental SDAT disclosed a significant relationship between the use of music and the number of hours of productive sleep. A paired comparison of the number of hours asleep between control and experimental “healthy” elderly revealed no significant relationship.

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2. Ibid.

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