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How to sleep well for your age
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How to sleep well for your age

While sleep changes don't always indicate a problem, ageing makes it difficult to recover from lost sleep

sleep

It is often misinterpreted that as you age you are bound to have sleeping issues. This is because many adults complain of sleeping problems as they age, including insomnia, daytime sleepiness and waking up frequently during the night. However, ageing doesn’t necessarily bring sleep problems. Developing healthy sleep habits will help you get enough sleep and age gracefully and happily.

The US Department of Health and Human Services suggests that most adults need seven or more hours of good-quality sleep regularly each night to lead a happy life. However, Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, head of department, pulmonology and sleep medicine, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, says that it is normal that the duration of sleep reduces as we age. “It is a myth that we sleep less. Infants tend to sleep for more than ten to 14 hours, and as we keep growing, our sleeping hours are cut down naturally. It is because of various reasons that our routine changes along with the functioning of the body. The elderly do tend to sleep early and wake up early, and some may even manage with less than seven hours of sleep,” he says.

A study conducted by US researchers titled Sleep and Human Aging published in Neuron says that the micro and macro-level structure of sleep such as duration of sleep stages including the quality and quantity of sleep oscillations changes as we progress into our older age. These changes in the body are seen because of the changes that occur in the body’s internal clock. The hypothalamus, a part of the brain also called the master clock is made of a group of about 20,000 nerve cells that form a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN which receives direct inputs from the eyes.

Another study conducted to identify age-related changes in objectively recorded sleep patterns across the human life span in healthy individuals published in the journal, Sleep, says that older adults spend a lower percentage of their sleep time in both slow-wave (aka, deep sleep) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep compared to younger adults, and the time it takes to fall asleep increases slightly as well. The number of arousals and total time awake after falling asleep also increase with age; however, older adults do not experience increased difficulty in their ability to return to sleep following arousals compared to younger adults.

Dr Mysore says that older adults who do not sleep well are more likely to suffer from depression, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness and experience more night-time falls. “Insufficient sleep can also lead to serious health problems, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight problems and breast cancer in women,” he points out.

Identifying the underlying sleep problem is a must and helps in overcoming many of these issues which in turn helps in improving the quality of one’s waking life. It is said that melatonin secretion is reduced in older adults and the circadian rhythm becomes weaker. Although these changes are non-pathological, sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian rhythm, sleep-wake disorders and parasomnias are more likely in older adults.

How sleep changes as one ages

According to Dr Pavan Yadav, lead consultant, interventional pulmonology and lung transplantation, Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru, tells Happiest Health that as one ages, the body produces lower levels of growth hormone, and so older people will likely experience a decrease in slow-wave or deep sleep (an especially refreshing part of the sleep cycle). When this happens, the body produces less melatonin, meaning one will often experience more fragmented sleep and wake up more often during the night. That is the reason why many of us consider ourselves ‘light sleepers’ as we age. People may also:

  • Want to go to sleep earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning.
  • Spend longer in bed at night to get the hours of sleep they need or make up the shortfall by taking a nap during the day.

In most cases, such sleep changes don’t indicate a sleep problem.

Dr Sunil Kumar K, lead and senior consultant, interventional pulmonology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, tells Happiest Health that steps often involve focusing on improving sleep hygiene and developing habits that encourage quality sleep.

A few suggestions for better sleep

Dos

  • Exercise: Sleeping faster, longer and better are some of the aftereffects for older people when they exercise regularly. The National Institute on Aging offers helpful tips for exercising safely as an older person
  • Maintain a sleep schedule: Remember that ageing makes it more difficult to recover from lost sleep. Avoid sudden changes in sleep schedules. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day and being careful about napping too long
  • Plan a bedtime routine: One must find ways to help relax before bed. Reading a book in a quiet place like a bedroom can also help you sleep healthy
  • Moving bedroom clocks out of view: Anxiously watching the minutes tick by is a sure-fire recipe for insomnia

Don’ts

  • Alcohol and smoking before bed: Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and even large meals late in the day can make sleep more challenging. Try quitting smoking, reducing caffeine intake and eating dinner at least three hours before bedtime
  • Bedroom distractions: Electronic gadgets and bright lights can affect one’s sleep
  • Exercising right before going to bed

How can older adults take a nap?

Dr Kumar lists down a few tips for older adults who don’t feel fully alert during the day and suggests that a nap may provide the energy they need to perform well for the rest of the day:

Keeping it short: Naps as short as five minutes can improve alertness and certain memory processes. Most people benefit from limiting naps to 15-45 minutes. You may feel groggy and unable to concentrate after a long nap.

Nap early: Nap early in the afternoon. Napping too late in the day may disrupt your night-time sleep.

Find a comfortable place: Try to nap in a comfortable environment preferably with limited light and noise.

Reach out to a doctor

If older adults have not been successful in solving their sleep problems, they must keep a sleep diary and note down when they work out, consume alcohol, caffeine and medications as well as whether they have made any lifestyle changes. These have to be informed to the doctor. The doctor may then refer the person to a sleep specialist or cognitive behavioural therapist for further treatment, especially if insomnia is taking a heavy toll on the mood and health.

Share Your Experience/Comments

8 Responses

  1. Very True. I changed my daily routine, I mean I woke up to a new timetable literally. Early morning exercises that suits your strength, following your normal working activities will certainly help help you sleeping schedule. Thank you Kumaran.

  2. Very informative…..keep it up guys.
    Please provide Men’s Health, Women Health, and Mental Health options on main tab .
    Thanks

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