Sleep disturbance of residents in a continuing care retirement community.

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the differences in temperature rhythms, rest/activity rhythms, melatonin rhythms, sleep percentages, and daytime sleepiness between two cohort-matched older adult groups in a continuing care retirement residence. Ten nursing home residents experienced disrupted rhythms, slept more, and experienced more daytime sleepiness compared with 10 apartment-dwelling residents. Nighttime light exposure was small in both groups but significantly greater in the nursing home. Gerontological nursing practice implications are to improve older residents' sleep by eliminating nighttime light and sleep-disrupting routines in all care settings for older adults.