People with dementia often exhibit sleep problems, especially insomnia and sleep-wake disorders. This study intends to assess the prevalence of common sleep disorders and investigate their correlation with a higher risk of dementia in a representative sample of older Iranian adults aged 60-75 years. A cross-sectional study conducted on the older adults Iranian population. The study employed a multi-stage and stratified sampling method, including face-to-face interviews and cognitive-behavioral assessments. Sleep disorders were examined using the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) and confirmed by a physician. Statistical analysis included logistic regression models to identify dementia-related risk factors. Out of all the participants, 11,636 (20.0%) claimed no sleep satisfaction while 5,856 (10.1%) were diagnosed with dementia. Higher likelihood of dementia (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.33; p < 0.001) was linked with initiation insomnia (11.9%). With dementia (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.46; p < 0.001), sleep fragmentation insomnia (6.3%) showed a significant association. Higher likelihood of dementia was linked to sleep-wake disorders (1.1%), OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.62; p = 0.036). This study underscores the need for including a history of sleep disorders in dementia risk assessment for older adults. Our findings suggest that improved identification and management of sleep disturbances could potentially help mitigate cognitive decline in at-risk individuals. Consequently, future initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of pathological aging should prioritize the early detection and appropriate treatment of sleep disorders.
Abbası et al. (2026) studied this question.