Among 758 community-dwelling adults over 65, those reporting sleep problems showed significantly impaired daily-life gait quality and faced 42% higher rates of total falls and 50% higher rates of injurious falls over 12 months. Notably, sleep issues affected balance control rather than walking speed, suggesting the mechanism involves neurological coordination rather than simple mobility decline. This finding illuminates a critical pathway between sleep health and fall risk that has puzzled geriatricians. The research supports growing evidence that sleep quality directly influences postural stability and motor control networks in aging brains. For the millions of older adults experiencing sleep disturbances, this suggests fall prevention strategies should prioritize sleep hygiene alongside traditional balance training. The study's strength lies in objective gait monitoring over extended periods rather than lab-based assessments. However, sleep measurement relied on single-item self-reporting rather than polysomnography or actigraphy. As this preprint awaits peer review, the findings may undergo revision, but they align with emerging research positioning sleep as a modifiable fall risk factor deserving clinical attention in geriatric care.