Sleep and Age

sleepThe older we get, the more time we spend sleeping in lighter  stages of sleep and less time spent in the deeper and more restorative stages of sleep.  This may be because our bodies  make less growth hormone as we age.

Unfortunately as we age, we seem to be more prone to increased weight. This can also cause poor sleep continuity. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t need less sleep as we get older. Our sleep does become more fractured however. We tend to take longer to fall asleep and we wake up more frequently throughout the night. This may be because our blood may have higher markers of inflammation as we age.

 

sleep2Also, both men and women tend to wake up to urinate more as we age. This could be due to prostate enlargement, menopause, sleep apnea, or consuming a large amount of caffeine throughout the day.

With age, we tend to get sleepier earlier in the evenings.  We  also wake up earlier in the morning.  Older adults generally  have more arousals from sleep throughout the night, regard  less of cause.

However, poor sleep quality should not be attributed just to age. Roy Sleep Medicine can evaluate your concerns in a comprehensive manner to ensure the most restorative sleep. Our goal is that you rest well to live well!