Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1995 Poor Sleepers Who Do Not Complain of Insomnia: Myths and Realities About Psychological and Lifestyle Characteristics of Older Good and Poor Sleepers Catherine S. Fichten, t,2,5 Laura Creti, 2,3 Rhonda Amsel, 4 William Brender, 2,3 Nettie Weinstein, 2 and Eva Libman 2,3 Accepted for publication: December 1, 1994 Psychological adjustmen~ lifestyle, and sleep parameters were investigated in 634 older community residents. Participants were divided into three categories:" good sleepers, poor sleepers experiencing high distress, and poor sleepers" experiencbTg minimal distress. Restdts bzdicate that (1) highly distressed poor sleepers manifested an attriotts, depressea~ negative cognitive-affective set; (2) many coped well with age related changes in sleep quality- they resembled good sleepers in the relative absence of psychological maJadjustment they displayed; (3) the three groups had similar lifestyle.s; but they differed in the cognitive-affective evaluation of their activities, (4) the insomnia complaint is itself mtdtifaceted and is comprised of three distinct elements -- difficulty sleeping, dis~ess, and daytime fatigue; (5) sleep practices (e.g., naps, bedtimes) are not bnplicated in chronic poor sleep; and (6) many commonby held assumptions about sleep disntptions in older individuals are myth rather than reality. Implications for better understanding and treating insomnia in older indivMuals are discussed KEY WORDS: insomnia; sleep; aging; personality; psychological adjustment; lifestyle. This article was prepared during the tenure of grants from the Conseil Qudb6cois de la recherche sociale, Health and Welfare Canada, and the Direction g6n6rale de l'enseignement coll6gial. We arc grateful for the generous support of these organizations. In addition, we would like to thank the dedicated members of our research team: Sally Bailes, Ann Gay, Jason Lavers, John Martos, Kathleen McAdams, Vicki Tagalakis, and most especially, Harriet Lennox for their substantial contribution to this research. IDawson College. 2Sir Mortimer B. Davis- Jewish General Hospital. 3Concordia University. 4McGill University. 5To whom correspondence should be addressed at ICFP, Behavior and Sex Therapy Service, Sir Mortimer B. Davis -- Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Cote St. Catherine Road, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E4. 189 0160-7715/95/0400-01895()7.50/0 9 1q95 Plenum Publishing Corporation