*This post is from the Consumer Reports Health Blog. We felt it fit well as a follow up to our weekly post for May 1st, 2010.
“The idea that people need and want less sleep as they get older is a myth,” says Harrison Bloom, M.D., a senior associate with the International Longevity Center USA in New York. But it is true that the type of sleep they get often changes. “People may not sleep as deeply as they did when they were young, and they may awaken more frequently,” Bloom says. That disturbed sleep increases the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and hypertension.
Unfortunately, even many physicians ignore complaints about poor sleep from older people, assuming it’s just part of aging. But health conditions that impair sleep, such as sleep apnea, are often independent problems that respond to treatment. Your physician should periodically question both you and your bed partner about your sleep habits at routine exams, referring you to a specialist if warranted.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which includes training in good sleep habits, is as effective as sleep medication at treating insomnia in older people, recent research suggests. Limit the use of prescription sleeping pills, which can cause middle-of-the-night falls and next-day disorientation. The risk of side effects from over-the-counter sleep drugs is also higher for older people and shouldn’t be used if you have narrow-angle glaucoma or an enlarged prostate. Even if your daytime routine has changed, stick to a regular sleep schedule. Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and reserved for just sex and sleep. Avoid caffeine after midafternoon and don’t drink alcohol, smoke, or exercise within several of hours of turning in. And turn off the television. “I tell patients that TV is a drug, just like alcohol and nicotine,” Bloom says. “It can seem soothing at first, but it leads to very fragmented sleep.”
