Elderly & Sleep Problems

Many people will wrongly assume that the older you get the less sleep you need. As we get older, we are more likely to experience pain, the frequent need to urinate, and breathing disorders during our sleep. These disruptions in sleep will sadly have a quicker affect on the elderly than a younger adult and due to this it is even more important to ensure that older people receive as comfortable and restful night’s sleep as is possible.

As we get older we will experience less slow-wave sleep and less REM sleep and this is thought to be due to the lack of growth hormones which would normally control NREM sleep. However, it is also important to note that whilst disruptions are more common in older people, it should not be a regular occurrence and should not be put down to growing old. If you are experiencing sleep related problems, and for no particular reason then you should investigate your sleeping patterns further to ensure you do not have a sleep-related disorder.


Health, Lifestyle & Sleep

In order to ensure you remain as healthy as possible and achieve the all important night’s sleep you should try the following: