Sleep Quality and Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: A Systematic Review

A majority of the care provided to persons with dementia is provided by unpaid or informal caregivers (friends or family members), and most caregivers have limited care-related training, which increases their risks of developing depressive symptoms. Also, persons with dementia may experience sleep-related stressors at night. Disruptive behavior and sleep of the care recipients may produce stress in the caregivers, which has been considered a precipitating factor for sleep issues among caregivers. This systematic review aims to examine the available literature to investigate depressive symptoms and sleep quality among informal caregivers of persons with dementia. Using PRISMA guidelines, only eight articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Sleep quality and depressive symptoms should be investigated because they may influence caregivers' health and their involvement in caregiving.