Posted on 09/18/2021 1:27:01 AM PDT by be-baw
You can consider it an old wives tale or something that gray-haired ladies weave while power-knitting: the older you get, the less sleep you need. That sounds like a rare and significant pro of aging, being able to be energized for longer hours. It also sounds... extremely not real. While I do remember my grandma up-and-at-'em around 6 a.m. each day, and I also remember her out cold on the couch, head toppled backwards. So do you need less sleep as you get older? Or is YiaYia a liar?
Well, first off, there's at least an element to truth, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Our needs definitely do change as we age. When you're a fresh-out-of-the-oven newborn to 3 months old, you require something like 14 to 17 hours a day. Diaper-bound infants need more like 12 to 15 hours a day. Toddlers to kindergartners need 11 to 15 hours a day, hence the mid-day break of nap time. It slims to nine and 11 hours of sleep until you hit your teens, and it's more like eight to 10 hours. Seven to nine hours is the recommended number for adults (I know, I'm giggling, too), and that's the same once you're 65 or older. So, yes, technically you do need less sleep as you get older.
But the reason why you factually get and function on less sleep has nothing to do with becoming an incredibly spry elder who really wants to be up at the crack of dawn. Rather, our patterns simply change, and we get more shallow rest compared to that subterranean deep REM goodness. Likewise, it's more common to go back to our kindergarten habits and catch a quick nap on the sly.
"As we age, we tend to have less deep sleep, with more broken sleep and awakenings throughout the night," says sleep expert Shelby Harris, PsyD, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia. "Naps and dozing occur more throughout the day as well. When taken into account, an average older adult should get approximately the same amount of sleep as he or she did normally before aging, maybe half an hour to an hour less. And this is because the new, extra broken sleep in the middle of the night is made up for by those little naps."
Sure enough, you want to pay attention attention if you or an older loved one is finding themselves with a shattered snooze schedule.
"If someone is older and starts to have significantly less sleep than before, way worse quality, many awakenings and the feeling that sleep is generally not restorative, an evaluation with a doctor would be warranted," says Dr. Harris. "Sleep apnea is very common here!"
Regardless of age, there's a few things you can do to get yourself back on track if you're not sure if you're getting enough sleep. It requires a little discipline, and maybe some PTO, but it's worth a shot.
"Go on vacation or take a week off where you do not need to wake to an alarm," says Dr Harris. "Instead, go to bed every night at your usual bedtime and note when you naturally awaken in the morning. Average together the total rest time for days four through seven—ignore the first few days because you’re likely paying back a good deal of sleep debt."
I’ve had some success with unison. My doc recommends melatonin.
Ambien, the Rx drug always works for me. Ten mg usually works, but doc will only prescribe 15 five mg pills per month, which is effective 7 days supply per month. I’m okay with that. I only want it if I have an early appt the next day.
I’m 85 and a champion sleeper, often sleeping 10 hours per night. Walk into walls if I don’t get a good night’s sleep.
What happens as you get older is, the brain makes less of the chemical melatonin, which helps you sleep. I recommended buying melatonin tablets to a friend who has a heck of a time sleeping and it helps him. Occasionally I take some too. I’m very small, so 1/2 of a 3 mg tab is enough for me.
Trump’s doctor gave him 6 mg in the hospital when he had covid because The Donald doesn’t sleep well at all.
See post 43 with explanation of melatonin and why it works. It’s not really a “chemical” but, as I understand it, a natural hormone sold OTC.
Retired now for 7 years. Usually up till around 11 pm. I’ve always woke up at 3:30 in the morning Usually fall back to sleep within the hour. Alarm set for 6am. If it is light I usually get up, in winter I’ll sleep for another hour.
Read about Magnesium and sleep.
No. Sadly it does not. Might want to get tested but in the mean time.
Set yourself a schedule for sleep.
At the same time every night turn off TV, Computer, cell phone, get in your pjs, have a hot drink (herbal tea, cider) brush your teeth, read a book (not electronic) until you feel a little drowsy and go to bed.
Try for a month or so. It may help.
If you wake up and can not go back to sleep get up and do something but leave the electronics off.
I think not being as physically active can lead to shallower sleep and maybe less need for sleep.
My dad used the old John Wayne line: Get up, we’re burning’ daylight!
Get an air cleaner and let it run at night.....you won’t hear anything to wake you.
My sleep patterns are according to what I’m doing. I push the envelope until I drop into bed. No specific hours and can vary from day to day. Have always had a slow down about 3:00 in the afternoon....even when working. So I grab a snack of some sort to perk up.
I’m also a night hawk. Love the evening hours. Although I also enjoy waking as the sun rises. So I enjoy the full range of the night and day. And I like it this way.
If I were you I’d just go with the flow and stop trying various sleep helps.
“I think not being as physically active can lead to shallower sleep and maybe less need for sleep.”
That’s true for me. I can’t do much aerobically, but occasionally I’ll do some dumbbell exercises and that seems to always help me sleep better. I should probably be doing them more frequently.
You can have apnea even if you are not overweight.
Brands matter. I do best with Walmart's Spring Valley, not the quick dissolve or delayed release, just the cheap standard tablets. Natrol brand is OK, but not as good as the Spring Valley.
White noise can help. Keep a personal fan or two running in the background. Having two fans running can mask attention-getting repeating sounds from individual fans.
That's my life cycle to a "T".
The melatonin either didn't work or kept me up more.
However, I might look into that anyway.
Short naps work the best for me but if i’m not paying attention they’ll turn into a two hour ZZZ-fest.
Same here! I set an alarm so I don’t overdo my naps when I get them.
The OTC sleep aids work well for me - I sleep well and wake up refreshed. I bought a bottle of generic WalMart Diphenhydramine HCl for a couple of bucks 2 years ago and still have half of them, so I don't use it all the time. Adult dose is 2, but 1 works just fine for me (and I'm a fairly big guy). Everybody is different and reacts differently, so you just have to test. You mentioned taking Benadryl - that stuff knocks me right out but I'm a zombie the next day. And I've read that overuse is bad for you. A glass of milk at night seems to help also, and I recently bought a MyPillow and recommend it highly - very comfortable. I also use a knee pillow which makes my legs more comfortable.
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