Sleep‑related injury is a serious but under‑recognized condition. The study examined the occurrence of sleep‑related injuries and REM sleep behavior disorder among Hong Kong residents aged 70 and older. A representative sample of 1,034 elders was screened for injury, and those who reported injuries or a subsample of non‑injured respondents underwent clinician interviews, physical and psychiatric assessments, and sleep studies. The prevalence of sleep‑related injury was 0.8 % and REM sleep behavior disorder 0.38 % (95 % CI 0.01–0.76 %), with evidence of under‑recognition and a waxing‑and‑waning course, underscoring the need for greater attention to this population.
Sleep-related injury is a serious but under-recognized condition. We examined the occurrence of sleep-related injuries and REM sleep behavior disorder (RSBD) in a community sample of elderly in Hong Kong.A representative sample of elderly aged 70 years or above were interviewed with a screening question on the presence of sleep-related injuries. Those who answered affirmatively as well as a subsample of negative responders were interviewed by clinicians. Patients with suspected sleep disorders underwent physical and psychiatric assessment as well as sleep studies.NA.NA.NA.In total, 1034 elderly were surveyed and 0.8% reported history of sleep-related injury. Four subjects were confirmed to have RSBD, giving an estimated prevalence of RSBD of 0.38% (95% CI=0.01 to 0.76%). One subject had suspected RSBD but refused investigations while 1 had history suggestive of transient RSBD but could not be confirmed by the sleep studies. The course of RSBD in these subjects was that of a waxing and waning course instead of a progressive deterioration as described in previous literature. Two patients had been hospitalized for sleep-related injury before but their sleep disorder was not recognized.We found that sleep-related injury and RSBD were not rare in the elderly but were frequently under-recognized. Our study calls for greater attention to elderly who had sustained injury during sleep.