Aging and Sleep Patterns

You might have noticed that older people don't sleep as long as younger people sleep. Or maybe you are an older person who realizes that it's not just the "old gray mare" that ain't what she used to be, but your sleep patterns as well.

There are a great many reasons that sleep patterns change as we age. Generally older people are less active during the day than they were in their younger years, and that lack of good old-fashioned physical exercise adversely affects sleep patterns as well as the length and depth of sleep. It's important for older people to get as much physical exercise as possible during the daylight hours in order to improve their sleep at night. Naps should be limited to very early afternoon hours.

Many medications can also change our sleep patterns. Many medications that are commonly prescribed for older people are known to cause insomnia. If you have started taking a new medication and find that your sleep has suddenly become disrupted, you should speak to your doctor about the problem. There are many different medications that are used to treat problems, and a simple change in medication could improve your sleep.

Depression and stress are big fat thieves of sleep. Depression and stress are often constant companions of older people. Older people should actively seek ways to relieve their stress and depression, and there really are ways of relieving both. Yoga, for example, is a great stress reliever and it will have the added benefits of providing some easy physical activity. Plus, if you take a class, you will meet with other people, and the socialization will also help to relieve the stress and depression.

It is true that sleep patterns change as we age, but there are things that we can do to help improve our sleep and a good night's rest is just as important in older years as it was in younger years.