As you age, your body begins to change and sleep patterns become more fragmented. This could be a natural part of aging but could also be due to health issues or lifestyle habits that contribute to it.
1. Health Issues
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Many health conditions can cause seniors to wake up during the night. These could include an underlying medical condition, medication changes, or lifestyle adjustments.
If a senior is experiencing frequent nighttime wakings, they should speak with their healthcare provider. This will help pinpoint the source of their issue and devise an appropriate treatment plan.
On average, seniors need 7-8 hours of sleep each night to feel rested and alert. Unfortunately, as seniors age, their bodies' natural sleep hormones and chemicals may begin to change, leading to difficulty sleeping.
2. Changes in Sleep Patterns
Many factors can contribute to insomnia in older individuals, such as changes to their body's chemicals and hormones due to lifestyle habits, health conditions, or medications they take.
Normal sleep involves three distinct stages of alertness: wakefulness; rapid eye movement (REM) sleep associated with dreams; and non-rapid eye movement (NREM), which accounts for 75 percent of an adult's snooze time.
Older adults typically spend more time in the early, lighter stages of sleep and less time in deeper ones. This can cause frequent arousals and awakenings throughout the night.
Seniors often struggle to fall asleep, leaving them feeling fatigued, weak and unrested in the morning. Fortunately, these issues are treatable; if your senior loved o
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4. Physical Issues
Older individuals are particularly susceptible to physical issues that can disrupt their sleep patterns and make it hard for them to fall or stay asleep. These include sleep apnea, which causes pauses in breathing during sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most prevalent form of this disorder, which involves repeated collapse of the upper airway. This can disrupt sleep patterns and lower oxygen levels in the body, leading to headaches and daytime sleepiness.
In addition to obstructive sleep apnea, other medical conditions can also contribute to insomnia. For instance, arthritis, heart disease and menopause all have the potential to negatively impact a senior's quality of sle
