Experiences of Sleep Problems Among Older Korean Immigrants.
Yeonsu Song, Gery W Ryan, Diane Lee and 5 others
PMID 35609258WHAT IT FOUND
Older Korean immigrants described poor sleep leaving them dizzy, forgetful, anxious and tired.
They napped, used devices, prayed, and sometimes tried coffee, alcohol, or sleeping pills. Worry about family, finances, and living alone kept them awake.
Key findings
01Most participants said poor sleep affected next-day dizziness, sleepiness, forgetfulness, concentration, anxiety, annoyance, fatigue, and energy.
02Participants described napping, using devices in bed, and using alcohol or sleeping pills, and they said devices did not clearly improve sleep.
03Worry about responsibilities, finances, past events, and family in Korea made it hard to fall asleep or go back to sleep.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All participants lived in or near Korean communities in Southern California, so the findings may not apply to Korean immigrants in other places. The paper reports a participation rate of 25%, and only 28 people took part, so some experiences may be missing. Most data came from phone interviews, so facial expressions and gestures were not observed. Participants were asked to describe sleep before the pandemic, but pandemic stress may still have influenced what they said. Nap duration was not measured, so the study cannot say how much napping affected night sleep. The study did not examine immigration history or acculturative stress as causes of sleep problems. It was not a treatment trial, so it cannot show that any sleep strategy works.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The publication types indicate U.S. government and NIH extramural support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these sleep strategies improve sleep. Participants described what they tried, but this was not a treatment trial, and they said peer advice did not help and device use did not clearly improve sleep.