Sleep and Aging
Most people don't sleep as well as they used to, and they suffer from insomnia beginning in their late forties and fifties.
As our brain ages, some people need more stimulation to keep functioning normally and rationally.
Keeping the active lifestyle, both physically and mentally, is one of the most important factors of keeping good health and sleep pattern in elderly people.
The whole family can play a role. Visit older relatives, invite them for dinner, and bring anything to help make their life more interesting.
If you are retired and are having problems with insomnia, there are two rules to practice:
- Don't sit around, doing nothing all day. You must have enough stimulating activity during the day to have a good night's sleep.
- Don't lie in bed in the morning. Get up at your scheduled normal time. Sleeping late makes it more difficult to fall asleep the next night, starting a vicious cycle. You need to maintain a proper sleep-wake cycle.
Another issue is that the rates in which medications are metabolized, decreasing with age. As one gets older, medications remain in the system for longer periods and are build up. This may lead to various complications, depending on the medication taken.