Sleep problems in dementia care linked more to emotional well-being than fear of falling

Heather Carroll — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:27:48 +0000

Sleep problems in dementia care linked more to emotional well-being than fear of falling Heather Carroll Tue, 07/07/2026 - 13:27

Key Takeaways

For dementia care recipients, positive emotion was associated with better sleep, while psychological distress, like depression and anxiety, was associated with worse sleep among caregivers.
Though the study found that fear of falling was associated with poorer sleep for both partners, emotional well-being ultimately showed a stronger association with sleep than fear of falling itself.
This study by 91�� researcher Kyeung Mi Oh is the first to examine the relationships between fear of falling in older adults with probable or possible dementia and the subjective sleep quality of both care recipients and their spousal caregivers.

In This Story

Kyeung Mi Oh, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN

While fear of falling has long been linked to poor sleep among older adults, new research from 91�� suggests emotional well-being may be an even stronger predictor of sleep quality for people with dementia and the spouses who care for them.

Dementia researcher Kyeung Mi Oh, professor in the School of Nursing. Photo provided.

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, dementia researcher Kyeung Mi Oh examined how fear of falling and sleep quality interact within dementia caregiving couples where one partner has probable or possible dementia and the other serves as caregiver.

Falls are a common concern among older adults and can lead to reduced mobility, more frequent hospital visits, and limits on daily activities. Many individuals also develop a persistent fear of falling, causing them to avoid activities even when they are physically able. In dementia care, that fear can further increase caregiver burden and affect sleep for both partners.

Though the study found that fear of falling was associated with poorer sleep for both partners, emotional well-being ultimately was more strongly linked to sleep outcomes.

Why does this matter?

“These findings suggest that improving emotional well-being may be more important for sleep health in dementia care dyads than addressing physical health factors alone,” said Oh, professor of Nursing in 91��’s College of Public Health.

For care recipients, positive emotion was associated with better sleep, while psychological distress, like depression and anxiety, was associated with worse sleep among caregivers.

The results highlight the importance of assessing both physical and emotional factors in dementia care.

“Routine assessment of fear of falling, fall history, and psychological distress in both members of dementia care couples could help identify those at risk for poor sleep,” said Oh. “Clinically, interventions that promote emotional well-being and reduce psychological distress may improve sleep for both care recipients and caregivers, highlighting the need for a family-centered approach to dementia care.”

Key Findings:

Fear of falling was associated with poor sleep; however, after factoring in demographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors, positive emotion predicted lower insomnia severity in care recipients, while psychological distress predicted higher insomnia severity in caregivers.
Both fear of falling and recent falls were linked to worse insomnia for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Yeonsu Song from the University of California, Los Angeles co-authored the paper, “Fear of Falling and Sleep Disturbances in Spousal Care Dyads Affected by Dementia,” which was first published online in January 2026 in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Thumbnail photo By Koto Amatsukami from Adobe Stock.

Topics

College of Public Health