Psychological problems are an important etiology of sleep disorders in the elderly. As the elderly age, their tolerance for mental frustration decreases day by day. Old age is vulnerable to psychological factors. On the one hand, the occurrence of negative events in life with family-related problems is significantly higher than in young and middle age. Common negative events, such as retirement, hospitalization due to illness, widowhood, increased family conflicts, children’s failure to compete, living alone, unattended, and economic pressure. In these cases, elderly people mostly feel discomfort, heavy heart, uneasiness, sadness and worries, etc. They are easily agitated or anxious and have difficulty sleeping, which leads to insomnia in the elderly. On the other hand, due to the decline of physical strength and energy, the role of physical and mental factors is easily reinforced, causing loneliness, anxiety and depression manifestations in the elderly. Some studies have shown that insomnia in the elderly due to psychological and mental factors is higher than insomnia due to diseases and drug side effects. Some elderly people are not open-minded enough due to their personality or temperament, and are easily disturbed by the small things in life. The slightest discomfort can lead to bad mood, which can seriously affect sleep and lead to sleep disorders. Some seniors are very reactive to changes in their living environment, so if they go out or their original living environment changes, they will be very uncomfortable and will also have sleep disorders. There are also some elderly people who sometimes have inexplicable fears, which cause anxiety reactions, resulting in sleep disorders. In addition to the effects of certain diseases, many of these anxiety reactions are caused by loneliness and isolation. Studies have shown that the number of older adults with sleep disorders is relatively high in mild and moderate depression, and slightly higher in women than in men. There are many factors that affect sleep in older adults, and sleep disorders in older adults may be simple insomnia, or they may be early symptoms or concomitant symptoms of a mental disorder. The two most common types of psychiatric disorders in older adults, depression and dementia, are the most significant factors causing sleep disturbances. Older adults suffering from depression have very light sleep and shorter effective sleep time, which seriously affects their sleep quality. Older adults who are adversely affected by psychological factors are prone to sleep disorders, resulting in difficulty falling asleep or having insomnia throughout the night. If the effects of psychological factors are not lifted in time, long-term sleep disorders are bound to pose a threat to health and in turn aggravate psychological problems, forming a vicious circle. Therefore, when sleep disorders occur in elderly people who used to sleep well, it is necessary to find the reasons not only from the impact of disease, but also from the psychological factors. Older people should have a positive and optimistic attitude, get rid of the shadow of negative events in their lives, seek support in many aspects and maintain a happy body and mind, and keep their mental health. The society and family should communicate with the elderly, provide psychological guidance and meet their spiritual needs. This will enable the elderly to get good sleep. Sleep disorders in the elderly are closely related to psychological factors, and when sleep disorders occur, it is important to look for the causes not only in terms of disease effects, but also in terms of psychological factors. Psychological sleep is closely related to depression and anxiety, which are the most common; to get good sleep quality, be positive and optimistic to face it.