ABSTRACT
Objectives
This study aims to comprehensively review and update the literature concerning the correlates of sleep disturbance among caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to identify gaps in the literature and antecedent targets for interventions.
Methods
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase using terms related to “sleep,” “caregiver,” and “dementia.”
Results
Thirty-six articles were included in this review. Based on the antecedents within the 3P model of insomnia, predisposing factors associated with caregiver sleep included caregiver demographics, and physiological factors like genotype and biomarkers. Precipitating factors related to caregiver sleep included caregiving status and responsibilities, and person living with dementia factors.
Conclusions
Sleep disturbance is a significant issue for caregivers of persons living with dementia. However, this review has identified multiple precipitating factors that are modifiable targets for interventions to improve or enhance caregiver sleep.
Clinical Implications
Numerous predisposing and precipitating factors contribute to caregivers of persons living with dementia being susceptible to sleep disturbance. Healthcare providers should ask patients about their caregiving status during annual visits. Healthcare providers should also evaluate caregivers’ sleep patterns, and the predisposing and precipitating factors of sleep disturbance, with a focus on the modifiable factors, to enable timely intervention.
Clinical implications
Given the numerous caregiver risk factors and pervasive impact of poor sleep, healthcare providers should better identify those caregivers who currently have, or who are at risk for developing sleep disturbance.
Caregiver sleep assessment should include questions about sleep patterns, and predisposing (e.g., age, gender) and precipitating (e.g., psychological symptoms, caregiver responsibilities, presence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia) factors of poor sleep.
Caregiver interventions like coping skills, pleasant activity scheduling, or activities to increase positive affect, which target the modifiable precipitating factors should be recommended to prevent or reduce the incidence of sleep disturbance.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Shenita Peterson, MPH, a public health informationist from Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, who offered guidance regarding the search strategy.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data Availability Statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.