Quality sleep is essential to anybody, whether you are 7 or 27 or 77, sleeping well is important to your physical and emotional health. Many people believe that having sleeping problems is a normal part of aging, but it is not. In fact, many healthy older adults report few or no sleep problems. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging. A troubled sleep, waking up tired and other signs of insomnia are not a normal part of aging.
Many people believe that poor sleep is a normal part of aging, but it is not. In fact, many healthy older adults report few or no sleep problems. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging.
According to survey conducted by National Sleep Foundation (NSF) it was found that, “the better the health of older adults, the more likely they are to sleep well. On the other hand, the greater number of diagnosed medical conditions, the more likely they are to report sleep problems. Additionally, among older adults, more positive moods and outlooks as well as having more active and “engaged” lifestyles (such as having someone to speak with about a problem, regular exercise, volunteer activity, etc.) are associated with sleeping 7–9 hours and fewer sleep complaints.”
As people age, a quality night sleep is especially vital because it improves the concentration and memory formation. Sleep is also important so that your nervous systems can work correctly. If you do not sleep enough you could feel drowsy and cannot concentrate on the doing the task at hand. With lack of sleep, you could also experience impaired memory and physical performance. Doctors and scientist say that, a good also sleep allows your body to repair cell damage that occurred during the day, and rejuvenates immune system which is necessary to prevent illness.
So, how much sleep is actually necessary for elderly? Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. For example, infants require around 16 hours of bedtime, teenagers need about 9 hours and most adults need 8 hours on average. Interestingly, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — seven to nine hours of sleep per night or in the average of 8 hours.
Regardless of age, every person’s sleep needs are different. If you are getting less sleep than when you were younger, but still feel rested and energetic during the day, it might just be that you now need less sleep. However, if you are noticing that your lack of sleep is affecting your daytime activities, you should talk to your doctor. There are steps you can take to improve your sleep quality.
