Older adult caregivers to people with dementia get poorer sleep than non-caregivers, a new study has revealed.

The research, published in the August 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, found that the sleep patterns of such individuals - should they live with the person they are providing care for - was "significantly worse" than their counterparts of the same age.

In news that may be of interest to those studying the effects of Alzheimer's disease, these adults took longer to fall asleep and remained in that state for a shorter amount of time, Eurekalert reports.

Primary investigator Meredith Rowe said: "Using the sleep diary data that subjects kept at the same time, however, depression was the primary determinant of poor sleep, with depressed subjects reporting less time asleep and more wake time over the week."

A total of 31 caregivers, aged between 60 and 86, were tested for the study where sleep patterns were measured by actigraphy for three to seven nights, against 102 non-care providers.

In related news, 94 per cent of doctors have admitted to being aware of the link between sleep apnea and type-2 diabetes, the American Association of Diabetes Educators has heard.