Sleep tight, live longer!

Sleep tight, live longer!Tuesday June 19 2007 15:36 IST
“His insomnia was so bad, he couldn’t sleep during office hours.” –Arthur Baer.‘‘The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.’’ Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults. However, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults -- seven to nine hours of sleep per night. But many often they get less sleep than they need. One reason is that they often have more trouble falling asleep.A study of adults over 65 found that 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in the evening and awaken earlier in the morning. There are many reasons for such phenomenon.
Older adults may produce and secrete less melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. They may also be more sensitive to, and may awaken because of changes in their environment, or may have medical and psychiatric problems that can affect their nighttime sleep.
Restless slumber
Not sleeping well can lead to a number of problems. Older adults who have poor nighttime sleep are more likely to have a depressed mood, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, more nighttime falls, and use more overthe- counter or prescription sleep aids.Sleep patterns change as one ages, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging.Living with a sleep disorder can make you feel like you are fighting a losing battle as it disrupts and disturbs the very quality of life. It can affect a child, teen, single adult, parent or senior citizen. Sleep disorders can make it hard to fall asleep during the night, and can make you drowsy during the day. The following are the most common sleep disorders among older adults.
Insomnia
Insomnia, the most common sleep complaint at any age, affects almost half of adults and older people. The common symptoms include taking a long time to fall asleep, waking up many times each night, and that too feeling tired. Short-term insomnia, lasting less than one month, may result from a medical or psychiatric condition. If insomnia lasts longer than a month, it is considered chronic.The most common reason older adults wake up at night is to go to the bathroom. Prostate enlargement in men and continence problems in women are often the causes. Disorders such as heartburn, arthritis, menopause and cancer may make it more difficult to sleep through the night. Neurologic conditions such as parkinson’s disease and dementia, and psychiatric conditions such as depression also result in sleep problems.
Sleep-disordered breathing
Sleep apnea and snoring are examples of sleep-disordered breathing -- conditions that make it more difficult to breathe during sleep. When severe, these disorders may cause people to wake up often at night and be drowsy during the day.Snoring affects nearly 40 percent of adults, and is more common among older people and those who are overweight. When severe, snoring not only causes frequent awakenings at night and daytime sleepiness, but also disrupt a bed partner’s sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common among older adults and people who are significantly overweight. It can increase a person’s risk for high blood pressure, strokes, heart diease, and cognitive problems.
Movement disorders
Two movement disorders that can make it harder to sleep include restless legs syndrome, or RLS, and periodic limb movement disorder, or PLMD. Both the conditions cause people to move their limbs when they sleep, leading to poor sleep and daytime drowsiness. RLS is a common condition in older adults, and affects more than 20 percent of people 80 years and older. People with RLS experience uncomfortable feelings in their legs such as tingling, crawling, or pins and needles. It has been linked to a variety of conditions such as iron deficiency, kidney failure and dialysis, pregnancy, and nerve abnormalities.Periodic limb movement disorder, or PLMD, is a condition that causes people to jerk and kick their legs every 20 to 40 seconds during sleep.As with RLS, PLMD often disrupts sleep not only for the patient but the bed partner as well.
Getting help
If you are often tired during the day and don’t feel that you sleep well, you should consult a doctor. Diagnose sleep disorders and offering suggestions and treatments can improve one’s sleep.Before you visit the doctor, keep a sleep diary for a week or more. A sleep diary will give you and your doctor a picture of your sleep habits and schedules and help determine whether they may be affecting your sleep.During your appointment with the doctor let your bed partner come with you since he or she may be able to report symptoms unknown to you such as loud snoring, breathing pauses, or movements during sleep. Inform your doctor about any health condition or medication you are taking.Also, mention over-the-counter medications, coffee or caffeine use, and alcohol since these also may have an impact on your sleep.
Treatment
Once the source of a problem is found, sleep disorders can be treated effectively. Besides, there are a number of therapies available to help one fall asleep. Try to limit excessive noise or light in your sleep environment.Limit the time spent in bed while not sleeping, and use bright lights to help with circadian rhythm problems, which is one’s 24-hour internal body clock that is affected by sunlight.Medications also can be useful early in your treatment.People who are diagnosed with sleep apnea should try to lose weight.Adjusting the body position during the night may benefit those if they experience sleep apnea more often when they lie on their back. Many sleep problems will improve with changes that one makes on one’s own.You can often sleep better by simply following the practices of good sleep hygiene, which consists of basic habits and tips that help you develop a pattern of healthy sleep.
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