5 Sleep Problems That Happen As You Age
Nothing screams ‘I’m getting old!’ quite like your body forgetting how to sleep correctly, although everyone experiences it differently.
Lucky winners of the getting-old-sleep-lottery hit the jackpot with the newfound ability to doze off at will, while others are stuck with the prize of tossing and turning till dawn.
If you’re unlucky, you might develop insomnia or sleep apnea, sleep disorders that can wreak havoc on your daily life and overall health.
And let’s not forget the more frequent urination, where you’re just about to nod off but get the sudden urge to go to the loo. Nice.
Join us below to discover five sleep problems that can happen as you age (you might notice them from as young as your 30s).
- Your mattress requirements change
Your body’s needs change as you age, and your trusty old mattress might not cut it anymore. What once felt like sleeping on a cloud now leaves you tossing and turning, waking up with aches and pains you didn’t have before.
You might need a firmer surface to maintain proper alignment or a softer one to cushion those sensitive pressure points. Most older people do best with a medium-firm mattress between 7 and 8 on the firmness scale.
Pocket springs are the best technology because each spring is independent and delivers support by default. Hybrid mattresses also use pocket springs for support, but they aim to provide more of a pure foam sleep experience.
2. You go to sleep earlier
Most people turn in for the night earlier as they age, with 9 pm typical for people in their 30s and 40s (lights off at around 10 pm).
Older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. You might find yourself yawning over dinner, eyeing the couch longingly at 8 pm. Suddenly, “early to bed, early to rise” isn’t just a quaint saying – it’s your new normal.
3. You pee a lot more at night
As you age, the muscles controlling your bladder become less toned, making it harder to hold urine for long periods. Also, in men, the prostate enlarges with age, putting pressure on the urethra and causing more frequent urination.
Your bladder may hold less urine as you age, and you might need more water due to medications. The result? Lots of peeing, annoyingly at night.
4. Your sleep patterns change
Your total sleep time and efficiency decrease with age, while nocturnal awakenings increase – meaning less high-quality sleep. That’s why you are more prone to daytime naps as you age. It’s exhaustion fuelling those naps.
Interestingly, researchers have discovered that most of these changes occur between young and middle adulthood, with sleep patterns remaining relatively stable after age 60 in healthy older adults. Of course, ill health can change all that.
5. You value beds offering mobility
Whether it’s an adjustable bed that props you into a comfortable sleep position or a simple waist-height bed frame that lets you sit, pivot, and spin into bed, mobility becomes a must-have bed frame feature when you age.
Adjustable beds are the best solutions for mobility and comfort in older age. They are available in single, double, and linked-twin sizes for couples. Check out Recline-A-Bed and Sleepeezee models with a budget of around £1,000 for a single.
Summing up
Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean poor sleep quality – it simply means you’ll need to make a few adjustments to continue sleeping well.
The big ones are changes in comfort requirements, meaning a new mattress is on the cards, and you’ll probably change your bedtime routine, too.
