Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Aging

An important part of a healthy lifestyle is getting enough sleep. Senior citizens sometimes find that they do not sleep as well as they used to or that they wake up feeling tired in the morning.

On average, senior citizens need as much sleep as younger adults, which is about 7-9 hours a night. Senior citizens typically have a problem with sleep due to increased napping which makes it harder to fall asleep at night, waking up earlier in the morning, or feeling sick and in pain from other conditions they may have developed. It is important that senior citizens and their caregivers monitor sleep as deprivation can cause irritability, forgetfulness, depression, and more susceptibility to accidents.

Sleep can be categorized as either REM (rapid eye movement) or non-REM. REM sleep induces dreaming, while non-REM is associated with deep sleep. Aging contributes to spending less time overall in deep, non-REM sleep.

Types of Sleeping Disorders

Insomnia.

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that plagues many senior citizens and is characterized by the general difficulty of falling and staying asleep. People can have symptoms of insomnia for varied amounts of time. The symptoms include:
* Taking a long time to fall asleep
* Waking up many times during the night
* Waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep
* Waking up tired

There could be numerous causes for symptoms of insomnia like stress, worrying, or being excited about a new activity. Insomnia can be caused by certain medications. The trouble with insomnia is that it works in a vicious cycle. Staying up late because of insomnia can be habit forming or lead to worrying that is a product of the inability to sleep in the first place. Increased anxiety will make insomnia worse.

Senior citizens who have trouble sleeping can experience memory loss, depression, more accidents or falling at night, or reliance on over-the-counter medication that aids in falling asleep. Forming a habit of falling asleep at earlier times may be difficult but it is the most promising for beating insomnia.

Sleep Apnea.

Sleep apnea is another sleeping disorder that causes pauses in breathing while sleeping and can subsequently cause extreme tiredness during the daytime. Others living in the household usually notice sleep apnea before the suffering does because of common loud snoring and gasping that can occur.

It is important that senior citizens and their caregivers look out for these signs and alert a doctor because if left untreated, sleep apnea can sometimes lead to high blood pressure, stroke, or memory loss. Sleep apnea can be treated with learned methods or positions that optimize space in air pathways, or an actual device called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) can be used to simulate normal breathing.

Other Disorders

Some people experience movement disorders when they sleep. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is one of these and results in tingling, crawling, and pins and needles feelings in the legs which are temporarily relieved with motion. Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) causes people to kick or jerk their legs about every 30 seconds at night which can result in feeling tired during the day. Treatment for these kinds of disorders include medications, warm baths, exercise, and learning to relax.

Alzheimer's Disease and Sleep

Alzheimer's Disease can affect sleep patterns causing them to become abnormal and disrupting the sleep of the sufferers as well as the caregivers. Caregivers try to avoid accidents caused by these abnormal sleep patterns by doing the following:
* Putting gates across the stairs
* Making sure floors are clear of objects
* Locking up medication
* Putting safety bars in the bathroom
* Putting a portable toilet in the bedroom
* Ways to Improve Sleep
* Senior citizens can employ a number of tips to help them get a restful night of sleep in order to have a pleasant and productive daytime experience:
* Following a regular schedule and trying to get to bed and wake up at consistent times during the day and night
* Developing a night time routine that will be habit forming and let your body know that it is ready to fall asleep (this could include reading, taking a bath, or listening to music)
* Create a good environment for sleep - a dark room at a comfortable temperature, comfortable mattress and sheets
* Exercise at regular times of the day and not within 3 hours of falling asleep
* Get outside and into the sun each day
* Form good eating habits that do not include large meals before bed - light snacks are better closer to bedtime
* Stay away from caffeine late in the day
* Drink less liquid in the evening in order to avoid waking up to go to the bathroom
* Remember that alcohol does not aid in falling asleep, and small amounts make it harder to stay asleep
* Make your bedroom a place only for sleeping - only lie in bed when you are drowsy. If you are not drowsy, get out of bed until you are tired again and then return to fall asleep.
* A place to sleep should also be safe, so keep the following tips in mind:
* Make sure there is a smoke alarm on each floor of the building
* Keep a phone and emergency telephone numbers by the bed
* Have a good lamp that turns on easily
* Have a glass of water next to the bed
* Use nightlights in the bathrooms and hallways
* Do not smoke in bed
* Remove rugs during the night to avoid tripping
* Do not fall asleep with a heating pad turned on

Once you have prepared a relaxing and safe environment to fall asleep in, it is important to remember some simple ways to fall asleep. Some people use the traditional method of counting. Others like to play mental games by imagining that their alarm is about to go off and they just want to get another five minutes of sleep. Still others employ relaxation techniques that involve focusing on relaxing different parts of the body.

If you have difficulty sleeping, or if you feel very tired during the day for more than two weeks, you should talk to your doctor in order to find out if you have a sleeping disorder.