Seniors Often Lack the ZZZs They Need
Advanced age is not a reason to skimp on sleep

(HealthDay News) -- True or false? Waking up multiple times during the night is a normal sleep pattern for older people.

Though it might be common, experts say it's not an inherent part of aging.

Many causes for sleep disturbances exist, especially among seniors, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Having a health problem, suffering from aches and pains or taking multiple medications can rob people of a good night's sleep.

"These things can disrupt sleep, so what they may perceive as a sleep disorder may actually relate to the effects of some of their other medical problems," Dr. Julie Gammack, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine at St. Louis University, told HealthDay .

In addition, as people age they experience changes in "sleep architecture," or the stages of sleep from light to deep, the sleep foundation explains. It takes older people longer to fall asleep, and they spend less time in the active dreaming stage, known as REM sleep.

Being sleep-deprived isn't just a nuisance. Studies link short sleep duration with a higher risk for motor vehicle accidents, obesity, diabetes, heart problems, psychiatric conditions and a reduced ability to focus, react to signals and remember new information, the foundation adds.

One study showed that older black patients who have trouble falling asleep are at higher risk of having memory problems. The study is believed to be the first to link sleep and cognitive functioning in older black patients.

The study involved 174 people, 65 to 90 years old. Those who had difficulty falling asleep did much worse on memory tests, particularly tests related to "working memory," meaning the ability to multitask.

It's not clear whether the quantity or quality of sleep -- or something else entirely -- is at work.

"If we can better understand how sleep quantity, as well as quality, influences general cognitive functioning, perhaps we could better maintain memory throughout life, including later in life," lead author Alyssa A. Gamaldo, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at North Carolina State, said in a prepared statement.

Though sleep problems are not considered a normal part of aging, another study has found that older people, in fact, sleep less than younger adults, even when sleeping under the same conditions.

To assess sleep capacity, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital compared younger people, between the ages of 18 and 32, with older people, ages 60 to 72. All were healthy: free of medical conditions and sleep disorders and not taking medications.

After several days in which they were required to spend 16 hours in bed, the older people slept, on average, 1.5 hours less than younger people.

What remains unclear is whether older people require less sleep or whether they sleep less because of age-related changes in their ability to drift off and remain asleep.

To achieve a better night's sleep, Gammack recommends some simple lifestyle changes:

• Increase exposure to bright light and natural light during the day and early evening.
• Limit naps to a half-hour a day, at most, and do not nap after 2 p.m.
• Investigate the effect of medications you are taking.
• Don't go to bed until you're sleepy.
• Avoid heavy meals before bedtime.
• Limit liquids in the evening.
• Keep a regular schedule and go to bed at the same time each day.
• Eat and exercise regularly.
• Use relaxation techniques.

On the Web

To learn how sleep affects health and aging, take a look at information provided jointly by AARP and the International Longevity Center-USA.

SOURCES: HealthDay News ; Julie Gammack, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, St. Louis University; National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C.; St. Louis University, July 26, 2006, news release; North Carolina State University, Oct. 12, 2008, news release; Brigham and Women's Hospital, July 25, 2008, news release
Author: Karen Pallarito
Publication Date: Nov. 30, 2008
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