SLEEPING BEAUTY – PART 2
HOW SLEEP PATTERNS CHANGE
THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES
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So, it’s 4am and you are staring at the ceiling knowing you
are going to be awake for at least another hour. When you were a child you
couldn’t ever wake up for school and had to be roused. What on earth has
happened? Well of course life has interrupted us rudely! We have children,
forged a career, worry about bills, get hot flushes/flashes…….no wonder we
don’t sleep like a child.
Many believe that fewer hours asleep is the price we pay for
getting older and in part it is however, that doesn’t mean we can’t get a good
few hours of refreshing sleep.
How many hours do we
need? Well 7 to 9 is probably optimum but in reality it is the amount of
hours you need to wake up feeling alert and fresh without the aid of an alarm
clock. In reality given the fast pace of life that probably doesn’t happen too
often.
Many of us are snatching just a few interrupted hours a
night and despite what you may have read, we can’t train ourselves to need less
sleep. The body quite simply doesn’t work like that. We do not function fully
on less sleep!
Research is being done to see if once we enter our 65th
year and over we need less sleep or more. There are no clear results yet but
polls have shown that many people over 65 report that they want more sleep. Michael
Vitiello (1) suggests from his research that there is probably only a small
reduction in time needed as sleep time across our entire lifespan. Provided you
remain healthy your sleep requirements probably won’t change that much as you
age.
How do we know if we get enough sleep?
·
Do you need a coffee or a red bull to get
yourself going?
·
Is your short-term memory misbehaving?
·
Do you struggle to focus on a job or task and
become less productive once you have been sat down a while?
·
Do you get fed up, suffer with tension or snappy
when you haven’t slept well?
Answering
yes to any of the above? Then you are
probably sleep deprived.
What is it that dictates our need for sleep?
It is not just about age there are many other variables: -
·
Genetics,
·
Circadian rhythm,
·
Sleep quality,
·
Lack of sleep over a recent time, and
·
Gender
Genetics
There isn’t yet sufficient data to prove whether insomnia
runs through families but I do know that my son and daughter can struggle to
sleep like I do. In a 2003 article (2) it was stated that sleep disorder
medication would probably work despite any potential genetic flaws.
Circadian Rhythm (biological clock)
This is what determines whether we are “early birds” or “night owls”.
I am a night owl and my Father was an early bird. He would drive me crazy in
the mornings with his extreme jollity and whistling! The circadian rhythm
process controls this as well when we naturally wake up or fall asleep.
Quality of our sleep
As a child and teenager bodies need a lot of fuel to grow
and thrive. Because of this they tend to get much more deep sleep than adults.
In fact they spend at least 50% of their sleeping time in this mode. Once they
hit their twenties this has halved and by the age of 40 many people can’t get
into restorative sleep. The older you get the less likely you are to have long
periods of deep sleep and thus you will find you can be awakened far more
easily.
Arand (2) says that older people frequently complain about their
sleep quality. They wake during the night and spend time awake before they can
get back to sleep plus they then wake up early groggy and tired. The issue here
is of course that they can’t get that wonderful 7 to 8 hours sleep that is
needed.
Lack of sleep recently
This is a vicious cycle. When we have a bout of insomnia we
need more sleep but of course we then can’t get enough to catch up. A Sleep
Foundation (3) in the USA found that 44% of older people had at least one
symptom of insomnia at least twice a week.
Gender
It will come as no surprise that women experience more sleep
changes than men. This is down to hormones. During the first trimester of
pregnancy exhaustion reigns and lots more sleep is needed. A lack of comfort,
heartburn etc. with a bump makes sleep more difficult too. Once women have
their infant at home it is claimed they wake more frequently as they are
listening out for their prodigy.
As women age and enter the menopause and hormone levels drop
sleep can become very challenging. Hot flushes and night sweats are severe
disruptors.
Arand (2) has found
that women are much more likely to report insomnia than men but she is not sure
if it is a social issue or that women are far more willing to say something.
Sleep changes aren’t a part of getting older but they are
more likely to occur then. Vitiello (1) states in research that the key to good
sleep as we age is to stay healthy. Most “seniors” who report insomnia do so
because of illness or medication.
·
Arthritis, lung disease, heart disease, enlarged
prostate, depression and acid reflux affect older people and 20% of this age
group exhibit at least 4 of these conditions.
·
Sleep disorders like restless legs, sleep apnoea
or insomnia affect older people more.
·
Asthma and high blood pressure meds are
notorious for interrupting sleep.
·
Changes in lifestyle whether it be retiring,
moving home or losing loved one can have a profound effect on sleep as can
using recreational drugs, drinking alcohol and taking naps.
·
Sleep environment – too much noise, heat or
lighting in the boudoir will not help anyone. Nor will an uncomfortable bed.
If you are in good health as an older person you can expect
to sleep well though it may take a bit longer to fall asleep.
So, it seems that the same message recurs – we can help
ourselves. If you are struggling I have
found THIS
LINK that has a directory of sleep therapists where you can find treatment
if you think you need it.
I hope I have given you a greater understanding of how our
sleep patterns can change during our life. I do believe that knowledge is power
and can help us set manageable sleep goals.
Part 3 of the mini-series is all about top tips to beat insomnia!
Keep your eye out on the blog or at www.savvynsassy.net
Have a refreshing night’s sleep tonight!
Namaste
Janie
S xxx
Founder www.savvynsassy.net
References
1.
Vitiello M, “Recent Advances in Treating Insomnia in Older Adults”,
Grand Rounds, May 1 2009. Michael V. Vitiello PhD
2.
Bonnet H, Arand DL, Sleep medicine Reviews. August 2003. Vol 7. pp297—310
3.
National Sleep Foundation website, “Can’t Sleep? What to know
about insomnia.”
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