Comparative study on sleep health and lifestyle of the elderly in the urban areas and suburbs of Okinawa.

The sleep health and lifestyles of the elderly living in the urban and suburban areas of Okinawa prefecture, which is well known for the longevity of its inhabitants, were compared. The study revealed that sleep health and activities of daily living (ADL) were significantly better among the elderly living in suburban areas. There were more complaints of sleep problems from the elderly living in urban areas and their bedtimes were significantly later, indicating that a nocturnal lifestyle was related to sleep deterioration. In the suburbs, a significantly greater number of elderly people regularly took short naps and exercised in the evening. The study also suggested that daily habits such as short naps and taking appropriate exercise in the evenings contributed to good sleep, and that sleep health was related to the ADL of the elderly.