Aging and sleep are tied to numerous changes in health. In fact, getting a good night’s sleep can reduce the likelihood of experiencing many of these problems and promote good quality of life after 65. To address the unique needs of senior adults, it’s important to understand the impact of sleep on aging and your health. Since most people spend about a third of their lives sleeping, examining the relationship between aging and sleep is a vital part of promoting overall health in older adults.

Aging and Sleep: Why is Sleep Affected?

It’s normal for seniors to experience changes in their sleep habits, from quality to duration. Most of these changes are dictated by your body’s internal clock. This clock is located in the brain’s hypothalamus and is composed of roughly 20,000 cells, what is known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

These SCNs control 24-hour cycles known as circadian rhythms. These rhythms influence many of your daily cycles, like when your body releases certain hormones like melatonin, which promotes sleep, or when you get hungry. As people age, changes in the SCN occur. Deterioration of the SCN can affect when people feel sleepy or alert. The SCN receives its information from the eyes, more specifically, from light to maintain circadian rhythms. However, many older adults experience insufficient exposure to daylight, averaging only an hour each day. This can change the production of melatonin and cortisol, the stress hormone, and plays a role in sleep disturbances in senior adults. As you get older, your body releases less melatonin which is produced as a response to darkness and promotes sleep. 

Health Conditions and Sleep

There are some mental and physical health conditions that also affect your sleeping habits. These include but are not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis

This relationship between sleep and health conditions is complicated by the fact that many seniors are diagnosed with more than one condition. Those who suffer from multiple conditions are more likely to report sleeping less than six hours a night. This poor sleep quality can exacerbate many conditions. 

Issues with sleep can also be related to many medications. Nearly 40% of seniors over 65 take at least five medications. This can further complicate the sleeping issue as many over-the-counter medications can either cause daytime drowsiness, making it harder to sleep at night, or they may keep people awake and contribute to insomnia.

Lifestyle and Sleep

A lot of sleep issues are related to lifestyle changes that often come with aging. An example of this is that retirement often leads to working outside the home less often and possibly napping more often, which can interfere with a structured sleep schedule. Other changes that increase anxiety and stress, like losing independence or social isolation, can also contribute to sleepless nights. 

How Does Aging Affect Sleep?

While some older adults experience no sleep disruptions, others report having worse sleep quality or sleeping less because aging affects everyone differently. According to experts, there are several common sleep issues in older adults:

Shifting Sleep Schedule

As people get older, the body’s circadian rhythms shift forward in time, referred to as a phase advance. Many seniors experience this phase advance and get more tired earlier in the afternoon and wake earlier in the morning. 

Waking Up at Night

Many seniors experience changes in their sleep architecture. This refers to the different cycles of your stages of sleep. Seniors spend more of their sleep cycle in the earlier, lighter stages of sleep and often less in the later, deeper stages. This shift results in seniors waking up more often and not getting as much rest as they need. 

Daytime Napping

Napping often increases with age, with an estimated 25% of those over 65 taking daytime naps as compared to 8% of younger adults. Though some experts claim daytime napping is beneficial, many agree that extended naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at appropriate times. 

Changes in Sleep May Cause Longer Recovery Times

Changes in how the body’s circadian rhythm works make it more difficult for older adults to adjust to alterations in sleep schedules. This may affect your recovery time from surgeries or certain conditions.

Sleep Tips for Seniors

There are steps that you can take to improve your sleep. These measures often include improving your sleeping hygiene and developing better sleep habits. 

Exercise

People of all ages who regularly exercise experience falling asleep faster, report better sleep quality, and sleep longer. This, of course, includes older adults making exercise one of the best things you can do to improve your sleep. 

Reduce Bedroom Distractions

Cellphones, television sets, and bright lights can make falling asleep even more challenging. Keep the TV off while trying to fall asleep and reduce your phone time in bed. 

Avoid Substance Use

Substances like alcohol, caffeine, and eating later in the day can make getting a good night’s sleep more of a challenge. Try limiting smoking, caffeine intake, and eating dinner at least four hours before bed can help improve your sleep quality.

Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Aging often makes it more difficult to recover from sleep debt. Try to avoid changes in your sleep schedule and get rest at regular times. 

Develop a Bedtime Routine

Finding activities that help you relax before bed can also help improve your sleep quality. Try taking a nice bath, reading, or enjoying quiet meditation before going to bed. 

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