Posted on 10/23/2007 9:53:41 PM PDT by neverdem
As every sleep researcher knows, the surest way to hear complaints about sleep is to ask the elderly.
“Older people complain more about their sleep; they just do,” said Dr. Michael Vitiello, a sleep researcher who is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.
And for years, sleep scientists thought they knew what was going on: sleep starts to deteriorate in late middle age and steadily erodes from then on. It seemed so obvious that few thought to question the prevailing wisdom.
Now, though, new research is leading many to change their minds. To researchers’ great surprise, it turns out that sleep does not change much from age 60 on. And poor sleep, it turns out, is not because of aging itself, but mostly because of illnesses or the medications used to treat them.
“The more disorders older adults have, the worse they sleep,” said Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor of psychiatry and a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Diego. “If you look at older adults who are very healthy, they rarely have sleep problems.”
And new studies are indicating that poor sleep may circle back to cause poor health. At least when it comes to pain, a common cause of disrupted sleep, a restless night can make pain worse the next day. Then with worse pain, sleep may become even more difficult — a vicious cycle common in people with conditions that tend to afflict the elderly, like back pain and arthritis.
The new view of sleep emerged from two parallel lines of research. The first asked what happened to sleep patterns when healthy people grew old. The second sought to uncover the relationship between sleep and pain.
To find out what happens with aging, some investigators, including Dr. Vitiello, studied older...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Nah, it’s those dang sleep disruptions when you have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Thankfully, I usually have no trouble getting back to sleep. ;o)
Hey, the way I look at it, the less sleep you git, the more life you git in the same amount of time. But then I got married again, had a kid and I’m sitting here at my computer. I’ll be back at 4am.
Warning issued over human egg freezing
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
I'm only 37. I broke my back when I was 4 years old and it's creeping up on me. It wasn't so bad when I was in my 20's, but something does happen when you hit the big three oh!
“mostly because of illnesses or the medications used to treat them”
No surprise there. The old mom (80) has complained about waking up and not getting back to sleep, and having to take a nap in the afternoon. I’ve told her, get up as if it’s the regular time, and you’ll either sleep longer the next day, or you didn’t need to sleep any longer. Finally does that, and doesn’t worry much about the naps.
Sorry to hear about your back.
If your doc would approve it, you might try Sam-E, sold at Sam’s Club. It’s for joint flexibility and also is a liver cleanser and a mood improver (I first put mood elevator but that looked odd to me).
I only take a half dose, 1 pill each morning on an empty stomach, and I like it better than glucosamine. The reason I don’t take a full dose is that I don’t like having to run to the ladies’ room constantly for potty breaks.
Yup.
You’ll start to have increasing minor twinges.
By another 10 they’ll get worse and longer lasting.
You’ll make small changes along the way on how you
do things so as not to aggravate the problem.
But it’s gonna catch up to you and there’s nothing you
can do to prevent it.
When I was a 20 something, an “All Nighter” meant I had partied all night. Now that I am 67, an “all nighter” means I did not get up to pee.
.....Bob
the reason I take it at night is I really believe its diuretic effects work better when I am in bed, with my feet up....
I have purposely avoided taking medications and do not even take aspirin.
Next Tuesday, I will be asking my physician for sleeping pills.
Try some Melatonin first. It is a hormone that is related to sleep. Mrs SLB and I are both approaching your age, and a few months ago were having sleep problems, she could not get to sleep and I would often wake up after three or four hours and not be able to go back to sleep. She had heard about Melatonin so we tried it. Instant relief and we now both sleep like we haven't in 30 or 40 years.
Some of those studying gluten intolerance are suspecting that as many as 1 in 3 are gluten intolerant. There's a whole ton of health issues related to gluten that most people (and their doctors) don't associate with it, but that improve once they go gluten free. It doesn't hurt to look into it. I got tested at Enterolab.
It’s best not to take Melatonin long term. Just use it to get your sleep cycle sorted out and then go off it until you need it again.
Melatonin is a hormone, so you don’t want to overdo it. It can affect serotonin levels as well, which is what makes you feel awake and alert during the day.
An herb that would be safer to use in that it wouldn’t mess with your endocrine (hormonal) system is Valerian. I find it very effective.
I’ve not slept a full night since being pregnant with my twins. (My girls are 13). I think I forgot how.
This works to replace what the body is no longer producing. It works very for me well at the 100 - 200 mcg level. I am 71, sleeping as well as I ever did. Sometimes I also take a reduced dose enteric aspirin.
Sleep problems, as one ages, IMO, is more of a management problem than it is something that needs a drug. Go with the flow. If you are not tired get up and do something.
For me, it was several years of skiing in water ski shows and generally thinking I was invincible when I was in my teens and early 20's. Now, at 45, a dull low back pain is what gets me out of bed every morning. Nowadays, I watch as these kids flip BMX bikes and snowboards and wonder if they have any clue what they are doing to their bodies? I've only had broken toes and never a major injury to my back. I can only imagine what those kids will be going through when they are my age and older after so many broken bones and other injuries from smacking the ground repeatedly.....
“the surest way to hear complaints is to ask the elderly”
There, fixed that.
I take two grams Ester C in the am, pm and before I go to bed. It works wonders for pain. Use more if you need to.
I take other things as well but the Ester C and Choindroitin are a good start. Long-term use of drugs can make things worse.
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