Getting enough sleep is important at every age; it allows the body and mind to recharge and can leave you feeling alert and healthy. Getting enough quality sleep is especially important for seniors, as it can help limit many physical and cognitive issues that may arise as someone gets older. Unfortunately, it can become more difficult for the elderly to get the level of sleep they need to remain healthy. This can be due to a number of factors such as increased anxiety, reduction in exercise and certain medications.
What is meant by “good quality” sleep?
As people get older, they may feel the need to sleep more, and may even be getting more hours in bed; however, this sleep isn’t necessarily good quality sleep. There are four stages of sleep that are cycled between during the night, which are the following:
- Awake – This is time spent in bed before and after falling asleep, it also includes brief awakening during the night that may not be noticed or remembered.
- Light sleep – This is when the muscles relax, heart rate decreases, sleep begins, and body temperature drops. At this stage it is also easy to wake up, and muscle jerking may be experienced.
- Deep sleep – This is when your body is able to start being restored. The blood pressure drops, and the body is able to start growing and repairing muscles and tissues. At this point if you are woken up it will be more difficult to fully awaken, and you may feel groggy.
- REM sleep – REM stands for rapid eye movement, and this is the part of sleep that includes dreaming. When the body is in REM sleep there are a lot of similarities in how the brain operates to when a person is awake; breathing and heart rate increases. The brain uses this time to process new skills, committing things to long-term memory and prepares the body to wake up.
From the stages of sleep, we can tell that good quality sleep will involve more time in the deep sleep and REM sleep stages, repairing the body and mind.
How much sleep should seniors be getting?
Over 65-year-olds should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night in order to maintain health and alertness; however, as someone gets older it can be harder to get the recommended amount of sleep.
What causes sleep issues in the elderly?
The body will naturally produce less melatonin as it gets older, which is a hormone that controls and regulates sleeping patterns. Melatonin makes you less likely to have a disturbed sleep, allowing a larger amount of REM and deep sleep. There are also a number of other reasons that quality of sleep can decline as someone ages.
Pain and discomfort
Discomfort and pain from illness or surgery can impact sleep quality, in turn this works as a vicious cycle as the resultant sleep issues can negatively impact an older adult’s health and day-to-day quality of life.
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea causes pauses in breathing during sleep due to repeated or partial collapse of the upper airway. Sleep apnoea can therefore lead to broken sleep and a reduction of oxygen levels in the body, which can lead to headaches and clouded thinking and fatigue during the day.
Night-time urination
As someone gets older their urinary system changes and disruptions to sleep from needing to urinate are more common; this discomfort becomes more likely to disrupt the sleep cycle.
REM sleep behaviour disorder
Usually when someone enters the REM stage of sleep, though their brain may be working and the person may be experiencing vivid dreams, this will not become apparent to the person physically; during REM the muscles don’t respond to what is happening in the brain. However, as someone gets older, they are more likely to experience REM sleep behaviour disorder which means they will physically act out the dreams that can cause fragmented sleep.
Alcohol
Many people feel that alcohol allows them to get to sleep quickly, and though this may be the case, the quality of sleep under the influence of alcohol is not optimal. At the start you may fall asleep quickly, but you are unlikely to get the REM sleep that your brain needs.
Lifestyle changes
Retirement and ageing can lead to living a less active life and possible day time naps, which can make it more difficult to stick to a structured sleep schedule. Social isolation and anxiety that can come up in the later parts of someone’s life can also affect sleep quality. If you’re worried about the impacts of social isolation on yourself or a loved one you can speak to the team at Little Croft Care Home, and we can advise on care that suits you and will allow for daily socialisation.
What are the consequences of not getting enough sleep for the elderly?
Not getting enough sleep can make you less alert in day-to-day life; for older adults this can result in reduced reaction times and increased risk of trips and falls. Not getting enough sleep during the night can also result in daytime sleepiness and naps. Taking too many naps can impact the quality of your night-time sleep, making it harder to fall asleep and get proper healthy cycles between the stages of sleep, which you can’t achieve during a nap.
Lack of sleep can have negative impacts on memory. In the normal sleep cycle experiences throughout the day will be consolidated, which means that information and experiences during the day are stored in the brain for later recall. Not getting enough sleep means missing out on this stage and can also lead to the fabrication of false memories.
Lack of sleep can make it harder to adapt to new situations and can negatively impact motor skills as well as negatively affect mood, which can put a strain on relationships.
How can I improve the quality of an elderly loved one’s sleep?
There are a number of easy habitual changes that a senior can make to improve the quality of their sleep:
Exercise
Any form of exercise done during the day can help when it comes to getting good quality sleep. Though there will be different capabilities among seniors, something as simple as a quick walk or even just getting some fresh air can help improve sleep quality. At Little Croft Care Home, we ensure that all our residents have as much independence as they can whilst remaining safe, which means they can spend time in the garden and participate in activities and visits which are organised by our team.
Reduce use of substances that can impact sleep
Substances like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine can impact sleep quality or reduce the amount of sleep altogether; avoiding these as much as possible will improve sleep.
Find a bedtime routine that works, and stick to it
Develop bedtime habits that will help prepare your body to sleep. Find some calming activities like having a bath, reading, or finding some quiet time before getting into bed. It is good to not rely on screens before bed, as phone and TV screens can make it harder to get to sleep. It is also an idea to try and get to bed at the same time every night.
For older people it can be harder to get quality sleep, but small lifestyle changes can help and improve overall mood, concentration and quality of life. If you are worried about how lack of sleep is affecting yourself or a loved one, then get in touch with our team for advice and support.