Is it a question for you that do elderly people need more sleep? To answer this question, keep reading this article from humanhealthmag. Sleep is one of the most basic human needs that has a profound effect on our physical and mental health. With increasing age, several changes occur in sleep patterns that can have significant effects on the quality of life of the elderly. Understanding these changes and the reasons behind them is important not only for the elderly themselves, but also for their families, caregivers, and even the medical community.
Physiology of Sleep in Old Age
Before answering the question, do elderly people need more sleep? Let’s get acquainted with the physiology of sleep in old age. As we age, our bodies experience significant changes that can directly affect our sleep physiology. These natural changes are part of the aging process and can affect sleep patterns in different ways.
One of the main changes is the decrease in melatonin production in the body. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. As melatonin levels decrease, seniors may experience difficulty falling asleep or maintaining deep sleep. Additionally, changes in sleep structure are common. Older adults are less likely to fall into deep sleep, which can lead to feeling tired and needing more sleep during the day.
Also, changes in daily patterns and physical activities can also affect sleep. Decreased physical activity and changes in ambient light can alter the body’s internal clock, which in turn affects sleep patterns. Finally, age-related physiological changes, such as sleep-disordered breathing or chronic diseases, can also affect the quality of sleep in the elderly.
By understanding these physiological changes, we can identify and implement strategies to improve the quality of sleep in the elderly, which not only helps to improve sleep, but also has a positive effect on improving their health and quality of life in general.
Do Elderly People Need More Sleep?
Now we will answer the question “do elderly people need more sleep?”. What does our sleep have to do with aging and what changes does aging bring? Aging means changes in many body functions, and sleep in old age also has its own problems and characteristics. However, it would be wrong to assume that you will need less sleep at this stage of your age.
Along with the physical changes that happen to us as we age, changes in our sleep patterns are part of the aging process. As people get older, it is more difficult for them to fall asleep compared to when they were young, and they have more problems falling asleep and not waking up untimely.
It is a mistake to think that the need for sleep decreases with age. In fact, research shows that our sleep needs remain constant from adulthood to old age. So what keeps older people awake? The answer is: our sleep patterns, which experts call “sleep architecture,” change as we age, causing problems.
Sleep happens in different stages, including the dreamless stage, light sleep, deep sleep, and repetitive periods of active dreaming (REM sleep). Sleep cycles repeat many times throughout the night, and only the total amount of sleep remains constant. Elderly people spend more time in light sleep and have less deep sleep.
Deep Sleep Decreases as a Person Ages
Many elderly people complain that they do not sleep well at night and feel tired during the day. A study among elderly people shows that most of them take a long time to fall asleep (so-called sleep delay). They also have much less deep sleep (REM sleep) and experience the problem of waking up frequently during the night.
The prevalence of sleep disorders also increases as people get older. However, research shows that many sleep disorders in old age can lead to physical and mental illnesses and require the use of medication to treat them.
In addition to the changes that occur in the structure of sleep as we age, one of the other factors that affect our sleep is the rhythm of the body’s cycles, which regulates the timing of the body’s functions. For example, older people feel sleepy earlier in the night and wake up earlier than younger people. This pattern is called progressive sleep syndrome.
In this syndrome, the sleep cycle is shifted forward, so the 7 or 8 hours of sleep needed are received, but people wake up significantly earlier because they slept too early the night before. The reason for this change in sleep in old age has not been clearly defined yet. Many researchers believe that this issue is caused by the amount of exposure to sunlight, and the treatment that is usually recommended is bright light exposure therapy.
Snoring
For about 90 million Americans, snoring is one of the most common disorders that disrupts their sleep at night. According to the statistics obtained in America, it can be seen that 37 million adults snore permanently. This problem is more common in people who are overweight and increases with age.
Along with the aging of people, over time, sleep disorders due to their physical and health conditions also increase. For example, most elderly people suffer from high blood pressure, which can be one of the causes of snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart failure, which also disturb a person’s sleep. Especially in elderly women, problems caused by menopause can lead to insomnia in women who gradually age.
Do Elderly People Need More Sleep? Causes
Oversleeping in the elderly can be caused by several reasons, each of which alone or in combination with other factors can have a significant impact on sleep patterns.
- Hormonal and physiological changes such as reduced melatonin production and changes in sleep stages
- Disorders such as sleep apnea and reduced quality of deep sleep
- Diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, depression and respiratory diseases
- Some drugs used in the treatment of these age-related diseases
- Lack of physical activity
- Loneliness, social isolation, and depression
- Retirement and change in daily routine
Insomnia in the Elderly
Do elderly people need more sleep? The prevalence of insomnia is higher in the elderly. According to a study in America, 44% of the elderly experience one or more symptoms of insomnia at least once a week. Insomnia may be chronic, meaning it lasts for more than a month, or it may be acute and resolve within a few days or weeks. In most cases, it is rooted in a hidden cause, such as a problem related to a person’s physical or psychological health.
In how to keep elderly in bed at night,there are many ways to treat insomnia in the elderly. If insomnia has serious effects, aggravates other problems or makes a person so tired that he/she cannot perform his normal functions when he is awake. Insomnia can damage a person’s health. People with insomnia feel very sleepy during the day. They face difficulty concentrating and are more exposed to accidents and diseases and experience a significant reduction in quality of life.
The Effect of Diseases and Drugs on the Sleep of the Elderly
Many diseases that become common with age, such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disorders, and arthritis, can affect sleep. These conditions may cause pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms that disrupt restful sleep.
Also, many drugs used to treat these diseases may cause drowsiness or insomnia. Blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and pain relievers are some of the most common medications that can affect sleep. In addition to these, in the elderly who take several types of drugs, drug interactions can lead to sleep disturbances.
Some diseases, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, directly affect sleep. These conditions can cause the elderly to sleep insufficiently or intermittently, which leads to excessive daytime sleepiness.
Concluding Remarks
In this article, we fully answered the question that do elderly people need more sleep? In the end, we can conclude that this phenomenon is the result of a combination of physiological, medical, psychological and social factors. Natural changes in the body with age, chronic diseases and related medications, as well as psychological and social factors such as depression and isolation, can all contribute to excessive sleep in the elderly.
FAQs
Do Elderly People Need More Sleep?
With age, changes occur in the physiology of sleep. Decreased melatonin production and changes in sleep stages can lead to irregular and less deep sleep, which may create a need for more sleep.
Is Oversleeping in the Elderly a Sign of Disease?
Oversleeping can be a sign of various diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, or even sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
Why Are Some Seniors More Sleepy During the Day?
Drowsiness during the day can be caused by low quality night sleep, lack of physical activity, some chronic diseases or even psychological factors such as depression. Making lifestyle changes and managing possible causes can help reduce this condition.