Having trouble sleeping? Our sleep patterns change as we age, but chronic tiredness during the day at any age is not normal.
Getting a good night’s sleep is very important as you age. While you sleep, the brain replenishes itself, repairs cell damage and keeps your immune system working well.
Sleep also helps with concentration and the consolidation of memories.
Chronic lack of sleep deprives the brain of this time to refresh which leads to an increased risk of accidents, falls and mental and physical health complications.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Try to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. If you feel the need for daytime naps, these should ideally be power naps of 30 minutes and taken before 4pm so that they don’t disrupt night sleep.
What is Keeping You Up at Night?
Studies show that as you age, the body produces less melatonin which is an important hormone that brings on sleep. This is why you may naturally experience changes in sleeping patterns.
There are other things that may be keeping you awake.
- Insomnia – This affects almost 50% of adults over the age of 60 making it the most common sleep problem.
- Sleep Apnoea -- The Sleep Apnoea Trust reports obstructive sleep apnoea as being the second commonest cause of sleeping problems in older adults.
- Restless Legs -- Restless Leg Syndrome affects 10 to 35% of people over the age of 65, causing sleep problems.
- Health Conditions -- With age, the body is often tackling a few health conditions such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, kidney problems, dementia depression and anxiety. These can have effects on your sleep.
- Medications – Various medications can cause sleep problems. For instance, diuretics or water tablets may result in you needing to use the bathroom a few times overnight disrupting sleep. Certain types of beta blockers, anti-depressants and thyroid medications can cause insomnia as a side effect too.
- The ‘nocebo’ effect -- You may also feel certain, or have read, that some of the medications you are taking just before you sleep are causing sleep problems even if they don’t; this is called the ‘nocebo’ effect. Statins, for better heart health, are commonly taken at night and many expect disruption of sleep with them. The British Heart Foundation reports studies show that statins in fact have no negative effects on sleep.
Top 5 Tips to Help You Sleep Better at Night
There are plenty of things you can try to help improve the quality of your sleep at night.
- Keep a Sleep Diary: A sleep diary is a great way of tracking events occurring during the day and night that will help determine how much sleep you are getting and what may be affecting it. For instance, it may highlight that it takes longer for you to manage going to the toilet on your own overnight, that you feel dizzy if you stand too quickly with a risk of a fall or that you often find yourself confused about the time of day. A sleep diary is a good way to track all this to be remedied. It is useful know how disturbed your sleep is when claiming benefits such as Attendance Allowance. You might be entitled to a higher rate if your conditions affect your sleep and/or you require assistance overnight.
- Routine: Maintaining the same routine each day will help your body clock recognise that it is time so sleep. Consistent sleep and wake times and bedtime routines are a great place to start
- Fresh air during the day: Studies have shown that getting a good amount of natural daylight helps us sleep better at night
- Avoid caffeinated drinks close to bedtime: Tea, coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks all have a stimulating effect so try not to drink them close to bedtime so that you can relax
- Review medications: Go over your medications with your doctor to ensure none of them are disrupting your sleep. There are likely to be alternatives to help you sleep better if that is the case
Sleep may be coming less easily to you than it did before, and this is natural with aging. Knowing your sleep needs and using the tips above will hopefully help you get a more restful and peaceful night’s sleep.
