Experiences of Sleep Problems Among Older Korean Immigrants

• Published in: Research in gerontological nursing Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 193 - 202
• Main Authors: Song, Yeonsu, Ryan, Gery W, Lee, Diane, Kim, Haesook, Martin, Jennifer L, Kramer, B Josea, Hays, Ron D, Choi, Sarah E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Slack, Inc 01.07.2022; SLACK INCORPORATED
• Subjects: Aged; Asian Americans; Behavior; Behavior modification; Beliefs, opinions and attitudes; Bilingualism; Cognitive ability; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Data collection; Emigrants and Immigrants; Focus Groups; Health aspects; Health behavior; Humans; Immigrants; Insomnia; Interviews; Korean Americans; Minority & ethnic groups; Older people; Qualitative Research; Questionnaires; Republic of Korea; Risk factors; Sleep disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; United States; United States; Republic of Korea; United States > US
• ISSN: 1940-4921; 1938-2464; 1938-2464
• DOI: 10.3928/19404921-20220518-01

Despite poor sleep among older adults, little is known about the sleep habits of older immigrants living in the United States. The current pragmatic qualitative descriptive study explored sleep among older Korean immigrants, using a focus group with six participants and individual phone interviews with 22 Korean immigrants aged ≥60 years. Transcripts were coded to identify underlying themes. Several thematic categories were identified under six domains: daytime function, getting ready for bed, falling asleep, awakenings during sleep, going back to sleep, and seeking advice from peers. Unhealthy sleep behaviors were found during daytime and bedtime, particularly among those who were retired/unemployed or living alone. Seeking advice from peers was common but none of the advice helped participants sleep. Sleep education programs in Korean-speaking communities can be used to target those who are socially isolated and may benefit older Korean immigrants with sleep difficulties. [ (4), 193-202.].