“Fragmented sleep is tricky as we get older,” says Dr. Kramer. “Some of it is natural, but a lot also has to do with other medical issues. Some of it we can’t help, but a lot can be improved by taking care of the underlying medical condition that contributes to poor sleep.”
Men can experience prostate issues that may keep them running to the bathroom; women going through menopause may experience hot flashes and night sweats. For the elderly, depression and physical pain, such as arthritis, are both conditions that can disrupt sleep. Older adults are also more susceptible to other sleep problems, such as sleep apnea and periodic limb movements, which may interfere with their sleep. By talking to your doctor and finding treatment for these potential causes, you may find that your sleep—and how you feel during the day—improves a great deal.
"If you take medication to help you sleep, you do feel good in the morning" (1:01)
Older adults may be facing other health conditions that require medication, and it's important to consider whether that medication may affect sleep quality—especially for elderly people, who have more difficulty metabolizing drugs and may be sensitive to even small doses of common drugs.
Elderly people may also get less exposure to bright light than they need to set their internal body clocks for daytime alertness and nighttime sleep. Dr. Kramer cites research showing that people in nursing homes often get as little as one to two hours of exposure to the lowest level of light intensity necessary to signal to a person's brain that it is daytime. "Such a small amount of daytime light exposure, presumably with an associated lack of physical activity, is a formula for nighttime sleep disruption in most nursing home patients," says Dr. Kramer.
This is why good sleep hygiene is still so important, even as people get older, retire, enter assisted living, or develop other health problems. Caregivers tending to an elderly adult can help make sure he or she gets some type of exercise during the day, sees at least a few hours of daylight, and maintains a regular sleep schedule.
Bottom line: How you feel during the day
Although it's generally believed that older adults should get just as much sleep as younger adults, a 2008 study suggests that we actually may not need as much sleep as we get older. When researchers asked participants to stay in bed for 16 hours a day, those aged 60 to 72 slept only 7.5 hours on average, compared to the participants aged 18 to 32, who slept an average of 9. The study authors suggest that seniors who report having insomnia may actually not need the sleep they're missing.
If you or an older loved one is suddenly losing sleep, the first thing to consider is whether it's affecting daytime function. Do you feel tired during the day? Are you losing concentration or constantly fighting off sleep? If so, talk to your doctor about possible solutions.
"No matter how much sleep you need—whether it's more or less than when you were younger, whether 7 hours or 10 hours—you should still feel pretty good the other 17 or 14 hours a day that you spend awake," says Dr. Kramer. "You may have to accept some normal changes in your sleep pattern to feel better, but you should never accept not feeling good day in and day out." If you think a sleep problem may be adversely affecting your daily life, your primary care doctor, a certified sleep doctor, or an evaluation at a sleep center may be able help.
