The Connection Between Insomnia and the Deterioration of The Health of the Elderly Population

Why Older Adults Often Suffer From Sleep Issues Such as Insomnia

Studies indicate that sleep deprivation and insomnia are very common issues within the elderly population. There are many possible causes for this as indicated in this study. Often this is the result of a medical condition. Additionally, certain medications more commonly taken by older adults can have a negative impact on sleep. Another important factor to consider is that the circadian rhythm of elderly people regresses significantly in timing compared to younger adults. This is because melatonin is released much earlier in the evening.

Furthermore, with normal aging, seniors experience a decrease in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, slow wave sleep and REM sleep. Meanwhile, they commonly experience an increase in sleep fragmentation. Consequently, this common sleep disturbance in older adults is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Why Elderly People Often Suffer From Sleep Deprivation

Older adults often want to stay awake for longer in the evening to do social activities and to read or watch television. This often causes them to fall asleep in the couch or in the movie theatre in the early-mid evening. This causes the removal of sleep pressure or adenosine which had been building up during the day. As a result, when trying to sleep several hours later, the elderly individual is unable to go to sleep and stay asleep. Consequently, elderly people often experience insomnia at night because of dozing off earlier in the evening.

Furthermore, the circadian rhythm of the elderly is shifted much earlier than younger adults. This causes them to wake up very early, often between 4 and 5 am. All of these factors combined result in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation of many elderly people. This causes numerous serious health consequences as a result.

The Link Between Disrupted Sleep and the Declining Health of Seniors

Elderly people have much less deep NREM sleep compared to younger adults and have a reduced sleep efficiency at night. More information on this topic can be found on the page focused on The Importance of Sleep Throughout our Lives. Elderly people suffer from both a lower quantity and quality of deep sleep and increased sleep fragmentation. This is a big reason why elderly people suffer with health issues. Unfortunately, seniors fail to make the connection between the deterioration of their health with the deterioration of their sleep. This causes them to contact their doctor for treatment of their health issues instead of their equally problematic sleep issues.

Of course, not all medical problems of aging are attributable to poor sleep. However, most people and doctors don’t realize that many of the most common health issues which elderly people experience are related to sleep impairment and insomnia. These health issues include depression, lower cognitive function & forgetfulness, low energy, chronic pain, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. More information on the connection between insomnia and Alzheimer’s disease can be found on this page.

How Elderly People Can Delay Their Bedtime Effectively and Avoid Insomnia

There are a couple of things elderly people can do if they want to shift their bedtimes to a later hour and prevent falling asleep in the early evening. It is recommended for these elderly people to wear sunglasses during morning exercise outdoors. Additionally, it would be beneficial to go outside in the afternoon without sunglasses. This is because getting sunlight exposure in the afternoon will push the rise of melatonin to later in the evening. Lastly, In order to prevent insomnia it may also help to take a melatonin supplement in the evening. This will make up for the fact that elderly people produce less melatonin compared to younger adults.

Alternative Treatments of Insomnia For the Elderly

Insomnia of the elderly is a very serious and urgent topic. Much research is being conducted in order to develop new methods to restore some quality of deep, stable sleep in the elderly. There are new promising alternative treatments on the market. These products can increase the quality of deep brainwaves of older adults and help recover the health- and memory-promoting benefits of sleep. These are high-tech sleep devices using different brain stimulation techniques. More information can be found on the page focused on the Alternative Treatments of Insomnia for the Elderly. Examples of various high-tech sleep devices can be found on the SleepTech page.