Unraveling the myth: Seniors need seven hours of sleep too
There is a belief that older people need less sleep than children or young adults. This is a popular myth. Waking up early depends on many factors, some of which make seniors' sleep too short or low in quality. Why does this happen?
As we age, the brain undergoes ageing processes, leading to reduced activity and greater susceptibility to fatigue. This makes older people less efficient at processing stimuli as they did before. Experts recommend that adults, including seniors, sleep at least 7 hours a day. However, with age, the average sleep time shortens by about 30 minutes per decade.
"Some studies suggest that, beginning in middle age, the average person loses 27 minutes of sleep per night for each subsequent decade," according to the Sleep Foundation website.
Why do seniors sleep less?
Many retirees complain of waking up early and having difficulty falling back asleep. This may be caused by environmental conditions such as: ambient temperature, sunlight, humidity, and noise.
The effectiveness of nighttime sleep is also influenced by overall health and physical activity levels, among other factors. A crucial role is also played by meal regularity, regulation of the circadian rhythm, and the number of naps during the day.
Sleep disorder specialist Dr. Abhinav Singh argues that the reduced need for sleep among seniors is a myth. The expert explains that one of the main reasons for disrupting effective nighttime rest is the occurrence of uncontrolled awakenings, which may intensify.
- The need for sleep may not change with age, the ability to get the needed sleep does decrease with age - says Ariel Neikrug and Sonia Ancoli-Israel.
Vision plays a crucial role
Vision changes are important for normalising the biological clock, which regulates the rhythm of activity depending on changing environmental conditions. Professor Cindy Lustig from the University of Michigan explains how this affects sleep.
- Interestingly, one of [the reasons] seems to be that the vision changes that come with age reduce the intensity of the degree of light stimulation that our brain receives, which plays an important role in ‘setting’ our circadian clock and keeping it on track - notes Lustig.
Dr Sairam Parthasarathy from the University of Arizona Health Sciences notes that cataracts, manifesting with progressive lens clouding, limit the real perception of light, which especially hinders vision in low light conditions.
- If there's cataracts, the evening light doesn’t go into the eyes as much, so, according to the brain, sunset is earlier than when it actually set - explains Parthasarathy.
Vision on sunny days or after dark may be impaired. It is often the case that people with poorer vision go to bed earlier and thus wake up earlier the next day. It is worth remembering that changes in the sleep cycle are a natural part of aging, but if troubling symptoms intensify, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
