Does sleep change when you age?

In this blog post we will be looking at the relationship between sleep and age. Does the quality of sleep you get change depending on your age? Do you need more / less sleep depending on your age?

Poor sleep is NOT a normal part of aging. Sleep patterns change but waking up tired is not a normal part of aging.

Surprisingly seniors need about as much sleep as younger adults (7-9 hours a night). However many older adults don’t get the amount of sleep needed.

Older people tend to sleep less deeply and wake more frequently during the night leading to more frequent naps in the day time. This is a dangerous habit as it creates a negative loop of not being tired enough at night and so napping the next day.

To break this cycle or for better sleep check out these 10 tips below:

1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
2. Avoid napping during the day
3. Exercise at regular times each day and preferably in the mornings
4. Get some natural light in the afternoon each day
5. Avoid caffeine
6. No alcohol and no smoking
7. Create a relaxing and safe place to sleep
8. Develop a bedtime routine so your body knows its slowing down
9. Only use your bedroom for sleeping, don’t conduct work or watch tv in your bedroom
10. Don’t worry about your sleep, if you can’t sleep for 20 minutes, get up and do something else relaxing until you feel tired again.