The impact of informal caregiving on sleeping problems in European older adults

Objectives: In our ageing population people are increasingly confronted with caregiving responsibilities, especially for older relatives. Previous research describes how for women the provision of informal care implies worse sleep. In this study we therefore aim to look at how different types of informal caregiving are associated with sleeping problems and how these associations may differ by gender. Furthermore we intend to study between-country differences in this association. Methods: The second (2006/2007) and fourth (2011/2012) wave of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) are used. Longitudinal mixed effects logistic regression analyses with three levels -country, individual and period- are performed to examine the association between informal caregiving and sleeping problems. Data consists of 18,302 individuals aged 50 and older from 18 European countries. Results: Preliminary results show that - controlled for gender, age, educational attainment, marital status and the current job situation – personal care or practical household help outside the household as well as personal care within the household are associated with more sleeping problems. No differences in this association are found between men and women. Finally, sleeping problems are less prevalent in countries where a higher percentage of the GDP is spent on care for the elderly. Conclusion: Our study suggests that informal caregiving implies worse sleep. Care for relatives inside the household is likely to involve caregiving during the night, but the fact that care for people outside the household also affects sleep may signify sleep lost due to worries. Lastly, in countries where formal care services for the elderly receive more funding, people experience less sleeping problems, most likely due to less informal caregiving responsibilities