So your sleep habits didn’t age well…
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Feeling super restless at night?
Our sleep duration, wakefulness, and the ability to fall asleep shift naturally as we get older.
This is totally normal.While it can take some adjusting and sometimes can be challenging, its not all problematic.
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When they can doze off, they spend more time in lighter stages of sleep, he says.
Lighter sleep is one of several changes that happens to our sleep as we age.
Changes in health, both physical and mental, also affect sleep as we get older.
Could My Sleep Problems Be Something Else?
Some of these conditions include:
Its also important to consider thatsleep disorderscan impact sleep at any age.
Lack of routine and exposure to sunlight, loneliness, boredom are all contributing factors.
If so, there are things you’re free to do to maximize sleep.
This is why he stresses the importance ofavoiding lights from screensclose to bedtime.
Improving Your Sleep Hygiene at Any Age
Sleep hygienerefers to having and maintaining healthy sleep habits.
Keep in mind that the decrease in total sleep doesnt happen indefinitely.
Understanding and accepting that sleep needs and patterns change with age can help manage expectations and reduceanxiety about sleep.
Another thing to keep in mind?
Sleep actually might getbetteras you get older, if you are vigilant about your health and sleep hygiene.
Having fewer life stressors and responsibilities in older age may help too.
Li J, Vitiello MV, Gooneratne NS.Sleep in Normal Aging.Sleep Med Clin.
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Karna B, Sankari A, Tatikonda G.Sleep Disorder.
StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Reid KJ, Chang A, Dubocovich NL, et al.Familial Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome.Arch Neurol.
2001;58(7):1089-1094. doi:10.1001/archneur.58.7.1089
National Institute on Aging.A Good Nights Sleep.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your Guide to Healthy Sleep.
