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Elder with Sleep Disorder – Tired but Trying to Relax
As we age, there are many health hurdles that we face. Sleep disorders are one of the most common. In 2005, a Gallop study showed that 24% of Americans age 50 and older experience problems with sleep. A National Sleep Foundation study showed that 67% of people aged 55 to 84 years reported frequent issues with sleep.
What are the causes of sleep disorders as we age? As we age, the brain decreases its melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that, among other functions, helps to regulate sleep patterns. The older we get the closer to an “early to rise, early to bed” natural pattern of sleep we have. Having an insufficient level of melatonin may alter sleep patterns such that our natural pattern is affected.
An imbalance in melatonin levels can also interfere with our sleep cycles in such a way that we may not be able to get as much deep sleep as our bodies need. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the deepest kind of sleep. It is during REM sleep that our body’s cells are repaired and our immune system is refreshed to help ward off disease. We also have better memory and cognitive awareness during the day when we achieve an optimal amount of REM sleep.
Many doctors see sleep as an indicator of one’s health. Those who do not sleep as well as others tend to be less healthy than those who get adequate sleep. For older people, the risks associated with not getting adequate rest go up. They are not only more susceptible to disease, but also more susceptible to falling at night, experiencing a heightened sensitivity to pain, and a tendency to use more prescription sleep aids. There are other issues that compound aging’s effect on sleep patterns such as:
- Being overweight – this puts extra strain on the heart and lungs, making it more difficult to get oxygen to the body’s tissues. This often leads to interrupted sleep patterns.
- Problems with mobility – these can lead to difficulty in getting comfortable at night, reducing sleep quality.
- Sinus problems or general poor health – these often impair a person’s ability to maintain unbroken REM sleep cycles.
Most of these problems are more likely to happen as a person gets older, which may compound sleep problems that a person has from lower melatonin levels.
What can be done about this dilemma? Rest when your body tells you to. Ask your doctor about taking a melatonin supplement for low melatonin or medications if you are experiencing any kind of pain. Get plenty of exercise, as this can assist with getting REM sleep. Above all, eat a healthy diet. The healthier you are, the better quality sleep you will get.
