More than 30% of Americans are perpetually sleep-deprived, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Sleep deficiency contributes to a wide range of potential health and safety problems. As we age, it’s important to develop and maintain good sleep patterns to help our short-term and long-term health.
Medical experts recommend that all adults should get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night, according to the CDC. And although it can be challenging for adults at any age to obtain enough quality sleep on a regular basis, some older adults have difficulties. Here’s why quality sleep is so important and how you can improve your sleep even as you age.
Common Sleep Problems
A lack of sleep can be dangerous or damaging to the health of any individual, but the older you are, often times the greater the risk of losing sleep is. As you age, changes to your body’s internal clock may cause you to wake up earlier.
Adults aged 50 and older often report having trouble falling asleep, sleeping fewer hours, waking up frequently and getting less quality sleep. In some cases, these sleep problems are the result of medications or existing conditions, such as diabetes, bladder control issues, cardiovascular conditions, arthritis or other chronic pain conditions. Diabetes or heart disease, for example, may cause you to wake more during the night to use the bathroom. However, if you’re experiencing sleep problems and you don’t have existing conditions and aren’t taking medications that could affect your sleep, you may have a primary sleep disorder, according to Healthline.
Common Senior Sleep Disorders
Some of the common sleep disorders experienced by older adults include:
- Sleep apnea, which is marked by breathing that repeatedly starts and stops during sleep. If you’re frequently sleepy during waking hours and your partner says you snore often, you may have sleep apnea.
- Restless legs syndrome (RLS), which is characterized by a nearly irresistible urge to move one’s legs and typically worsens with age. If you have an uncomfortable, “pins and needles” feeling in your legs while resting, you may have RLS.
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders, a group of sleep disorders that cause a disruption to the body’s internal clock that manages the sleep-wake cycle. Common warning signs are having difficulty falling asleep at night or difficulty waking up in the morning.
- Insomnia, or habitual sleeplessness, often caused by poor sleep habits, depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, chronic illness, or certain medications. If you can’t fall asleep at bedtime or wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep, you may suffer from insomnia.
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), which causes involuntary movements of the arms and legs, which often disrupt sleep. PLMD is characterized by periodic jerking movements in the limbs (but not the tingling sensation associated with RLS). Many people with RLS also have PLMD, but those with PLMD don’t necessarily have RLS.
Getting enough sleep is crucial for good health and basic safety. For instance, if you don’t sleep well or enough at night, you may deal with daytime sleepiness or fatigue. That lack of sleep can cause you to experience physical and mental symptoms such as slower reaction times, poor mood, inattention and trouble focusing. Daytime sleepiness or fatigue can make you more likely to experience falls or less able to avoid accidents. If you operate machinery or a motor vehicle without enough sleep, you can put yourself and others at risk.
Sometimes, sleep issues are related to your diet. Consider adding some sleep-promoting foods to your diet, especially if you like to eat a bedtime snack.
Herbal teas are ideal for bedtime since they help promote sleep.
