Research
Mixed
High wake after sleep onset (WASO ≥1.6 hours) is associated with significantly higher odds (1.8x) of functional limitations in older women, independent of sleep duration.
Frequent nighttime awakenings (over 1.6 hours of being awake after initially falling asleep) are strongly linked to difficulty with daily activities like shopping or climbing stairs. Improving sleep continuity, even if total sleep time is adequate, may help maintain physical independence.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
With higher wake after sleep onset (≥1.6 hours compared to <0.7 hours) gait speed was 9.1% slower; it took 7.6% longer to complete 5 chair stands, and odds of functional limitation were 1.8 (95% CI: 1.4, 2.4) higher.
Why this rating
Large sample, objective measures, adjusted for confounders, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Source
Poor Sleep is Associated with Poorer Physical Performance and Greater Functional Limitations in Older Women
Suzanne E. Goldman et al. · SLEEP · 2007
DOI 10.1093/sleep/30.10.1317
cohort · n=2889Cited 277×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- In older women, objectively measured poor sleep (short/long duration, high fragmentation, or excessive napping) is associated with significantly worse neuromuscular performance and higher odds of functional limitations.Good
- Excessive daytime napping (≥1.0 hours) is associated with higher odds of functional limitations in older women, independent of nighttime sleep duration.Good
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