Assessing the association between sleep disorders and oral, systemic and mental health

Sleep difficulties represent an unmet public health problem, affecting large numbers of older adults in Canada. Poor sleep quality and reduced sleep duration affect over half of older adults, vary markedly by gender and are associated with adverse health outcomes including multiple chronic diseases, mental health problems, lower health-related quality of life and reduced longevity. Sleep habits are multifaceted and can result from complex interactions among socio-environmental, behavioural and psychological factors, as well as the presence of comorbidities. It is important to identify the main factors that contribute to the sleep-health association. The goal of this project is to investigate the interplay between sleep behaviours (that is sleep duration and sleep quality) with key periods of transition for older adults, the presence of multiple chronic diseases, satisfaction with life and survival using the baseline and first follow-up data of the CLSA.