Part 1: Sleep and the Elderly

An erroneous perception exists that sleep during our lives is disturbed because of age. The scientists, due to long-lasting research, have concluded that other factors, and not passing from one age-related stage to another, are responsible for the bad-quality-sleep that pesters a majority of the elderly.   Sleep is tremendously important for the well-being of body and soul in all age groups. Good quality and quantity of sleep in the elderly leads to improved concentration and memory. Sleep allows the organism to repair any cell damage that occurs during the day, regenerating the immune system thus preventing illnesses.   

 The most frequent problems reported by the elderly are:

Difficulty in falling asleep; frequently rising during the night and a lighter type of sleep; waking up very early in the morning without a sense of restfulness; experiencing a powerful need to sleep very early in the evening; sense of tiredness during the day; need for a short nap in the day.

 
The causes of problem-sleep in the elderly

1.      Negative conditions of sleep: the most frequent reasons of insomnia in the elderly are the bad habits which influence sleep and the environment where the elderly sleep.

2.      Bodily pains or illness: pain can prevent sleep but also many illnesses like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, osteoporosis, menopause, and Alzheimer can create disturbances in sleeping mainly due to its side effects (insomnia, frequent urination).  

3.      Pharmaceutical intake: old people frequently like to take a lot of different medicines.  The combination of different drugs, but also their side effects, greatly influences sleep. The hypnotic drugs are an easy solution for doctors and the elderly with frequent negative results in the long run.

4.      Lack of physical exercise: With the elderly who practice a sedentary life, and those who are overweight, it is possible they feel drowsiness all the time.

5.      Psychological disturbances: Important changes in the life of the elderly like the loss of a companion or changing the place of residence can create stress. Stress and sadness can cause insomnia which in turn can lead to depression.  

6.      Disturbances of sleep: The restless leg syndrome, insomnia, snoring and apnoea are some of the conditions related in disturbing sleep in the elderly.

Continued next month with advice for better sleep