Circadian sleep–wake rhythm of older adults with intellectual disabilities

The sleep-wake rhythm in older adults with intellectual disabilities is significantly less stable and more fragmented compared to older adults in the general population.

• Older adults with intellectual disabilities show a lower relative amplitude of the sleep-wake rhythm compared to their peers in the general population.
• Higher age, dementia, depression, visual impairment, severe hearing impairment, epilepsy, and spasticity are independently associated with a more disturbed sleep-wake rhythm in older adults with intellectual disabilities.
• Females and individuals residing in settings for more intensive care exhibit a more stable sleep-wake rhythm.
• Increased physical activity levels are linked to a less fragmented and more stable sleep-wake rhythm in older adults with intellectual disabilities.
• Similar associations of higher age, dementia, and depression with sleep-wake rhythm are observed in the general population.

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