Sleep and Age

Getting a good night's sleep may become more difficult as we get older. According to the National Sleep Foundation, middle aged and elderly people experience at least four types of sleep disorders more frequently than younger people. These include:

• sleep apnea, a breathing disorder in which there can be loud snoring and breathing actually pauses repeatedly during sleep, causing an individual to wake up throughout the night gasping for air
• restless legs syndrome, a sensation of something moving inside the limbs, coupled with an urge to move the legs (Read about "Feet, Ankles and Legs")
• periodic limb movement disorder, such as leg jerks or kicking (Read about "Feet, Ankles and Legs")
• advanced sleep phase syndrome, whereby people have progressively more difficulty staying awake in the evenings

For more specific information on these conditions, please see "Sleep"

In addition, many medical problems such as arthritis, osteoporosis and depression can produce or eventually lead to symptoms that interrupt sleep. (Read about "Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases" "Osteoporosis" "Depressive Illnesses")

Even if serious sleep disorders are not present, we may experience other changes. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says our sleep-wake cycle changes as we get older, so we might get sleepy earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. Older adults may also have more trouble falling asleep at night, or have problems staying asleep. They might wake up very early in the morning and not be able to go back to sleep. All these things can make older people very sleepy in the daytime.

Getting help

However, according to the National Sleep Foundation, persistent problems falling asleep at night are not inevitable. Talk with a doctor if you're experiencing sleep problems such as snoring or chronic tiredness. Underlying causes may be treatable.

For example, if sleep apnea is present, breathing devices or surgery can provide relief. If it turns out that medications are interfering with sleep, your doctor may be able to prescribe different medications (although a patient should never stop taking medications on their own without the doctor's OK).

In cases where there are no underlying medical reasons for the insomnia, it may be that certain habits are causing sleep disturbance. Among the things to watch out for:

• caffeine, especially late in the day, can interrupt sleep
• exercising too close to bedtime can cause problems
• alcohol may induce sleep initially, but disrupt the sleep cycle later at night

AAFP has some other suggestions. Avoid long naps in the middle of the day. If you can't fall asleep after 30 minutes or so in bed, don't lie there getting frustrated; get up and do something quiet for a while, like reading or listening to quiet music, and then go back to bed. In addition, ask your doctor if any of your medicines could be keeping you awake at night.

Finally, besides avoiding foods or situations that induce wakefulness - developing and following a regular routine for relaxing before bedtime can help you fall asleep more easily and wake up refreshed.