Remember the days when you could get all the sleep you wanted? Along with creaky knees and thinner hair, there’s another side effect of getting older — declining sleep. Falling and staying in a deep, restful snooze is more difficult for mature adults, but learning the cause as well as possible techniques to try can improve sleep quality.
The Decline in Sleep With Age
Sleep occurs in stages, from the lightest stage that gets progressively deeper until the final rapid eye movement or REM stage, where the deepest sleep occurs. During REM, your body restores itself from the day before —it clears out toxins from the body, as well as solidifies recent memories and makes room for new ones. These functions are important throughout life, but even more so as we age.
But, unfortunately, seven out of ten older adults report issues with sleep. Research has proven that the amount of deep sleep you get every night starts to decline as early as your late 20’s. The result? No matter how long you’re asleep, those rejuvenating benefits are less present. In fact, the same study showed that by age 50, you spend only half as much time in deep sleep than you did at 20.
So, what causes this decline in quality sleep? The makeup in our bodies as we age. With maturity, the systems that regulate sleep – the homeostasis and the internal clock – become less aware of fatigue. This makes it more difficult for the brain to distinguish sleepiness and the rest it needs to restore it. Other medical concerns that sometimes accompany age can also play a part, like insomnia from various conditions and restless leg syndrome, as well as sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
The good news? These issues don’t have to go untreated. Certain lifestyle changes, as well as addressing any underlying medical conditions, can dramatically improve sleep quality.
Is Sleep Apnea a Factor?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when your upper airway is partially or completely blocked as you try to breathe during sleep, is a common but often undiagnosed condition for older adults. Many do not seek treatment because of the association between aging and declining sleep, but these symptoms should not be written off as normal. As we’ve discussed, untreated sleep apnea can be seriously damaging to overall health and cause memory loss, weight gain, cardiovascular problems and even sudden death.
If you’ve researched the symptoms and think you may have sleep apnea, addressing the condition will do wonders for your rest and quality of life. One option is oral appliance therapies, which are a comfortable and often preferred method to CPAP machines. Oral appliances work by repositioning the lower jaw to keep the airway clear throughout the night, preventing the frequent interruptions in sleep due to a lack of air.
If you’re interested in learning if oral appliance therapies are the right treatment for you, you can research more here. For a free consultation, contact Sleep Better, Georgia to register an appointment with Dr. Jeff Rodgers, DMD, a board-certified expert in dental sleep medicine.
You’ve Got Treatment Options
If sleep apnea isn’t the issue, there are several lifestyle changes that older adults can use to try and improve sleep quality.
- Try exercising in the afternoon
- Establishing a regular bedtime routine, like taking a bath or reading a book, at the same time every day
- Put yourself on a routine, going to bed and waking at roughly the same time every day
- Not drinking coffee past the early afternoon
- Avoiding your bed during the day, so your body is conditioned to associate the bedroom with sleep
- Take shorter daytime naps
- Avoid alcohol immediately before bedtime
Getting less deep sleep is a fact of life as we age, but that doesn’t mean that the amount of sleep we need declines. Quality sleep is just as important for mature adults as it is for any other age group, perhaps even more so. Finding the treatment that’s right for you can dramatically improve sleep quality – so don’t give up! You deserve a restful, rejuvenating night’s sleep, no matter the age.