Sleep disorders in old age are fairly common but are often downplayed. Our expert will reveal when treatment is necessary.
Sleep disorders in old age: a mass phenomenon?
From around the age of 60, many people experience sleep problems. Even those who did not have any symptoms of this kind suddenly suffer from sleep disorders in old age. Those affected often do not find their sleep as restful as it used to be – because older people, for example, often have a shortened deep sleep phase. These changes in sleep behavior should be observed, but they are not always directly a cause for concern.
Causes of sleep disorders in old age
There are several reasons for sleep disorders in old age. These include:
- shortened deep sleep phases
- greater sensitivity to disruptive factors (for example, partner's snoring or a room temperature that is too high) and, as a result, increased waking up
- You sleep more often during the day – and therefore less at night
- persistent stress
- Mental illnesses such as depressed mood up to depression or beginning dementia
- Sleep apnea, especially older men, are more likely to experience these pauses in breathing during sleep
- Drug interactions
- Bladder weakness that makes you more likely to get out of bed at night
Sleep disorders are not always a problem
In addition, in the course of their lives many people become larks who go to bed early and get up earlier. This happens to many even if they were one of those owls in their younger years who tend to be awake late and accordingly sleep longer. The daily rhythm shifts naturally – so that one cannot actually speak of sleep disorders (insomnia) here.
Therapy: What can I do about sleep disorders in old age?
If sleep disturbances increase and patients no longer feel restful sleep, they should talk to their doctor about how they can get back to sound sleep. It does not always have to be direct therapy, provided there is no illness – slight changes in sleep hygiene can often help. The following tips can support healthy sleep and prevent sleep disorders:
- Check medication: Especially when older people have to take several different drugs, the doctor should specifically look for possible interactions. Often there is an alternative preparation so that sleep disorders can be prevented.
- Listen to yourself: Anyone who notices that they react much more sensitively to disruptive factors such as a snoring partner than before and thus suffer from sleep disorders should think about whether they should sleep in separate beds or even rooms in the future. It even improves some relationships.
- Improve sleep hygiene: Here it is important to try something out: Do the sleep disorders decrease more with the window open than with the closed one? Or should you switch to a thinner blanket? You can find more tips on sleep hygiene here.
- Exclude diseases: If the sleep disorders persist even with good sleep hygiene, you should look for possible illnesses as a trigger together with your doctor and begin appropriate therapy.
- Skipping afternoon nap: Older people often suffer from daytime tiredness and are more likely to have an afternoon nap. But if you suffer from sleep disorders at night, you should refrain from doing so, as the afternoon nap can shorten the night's rest.
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Expert talk: tips against sleep disorders in old age
we have with Professor Ingo Fietze, Head of the Interdisciplinary Sleep Medicine Center at the Charité, talked about sleep disorders in old age.
You consider Professor Fietze a myth that one automatically suffers from insomnia in old age …
Ingo Fietze: It is exactly like that! This assumption alone affects some people like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think that is problematic, because 30 percent are gifted sleepers and stay that way for their entire life. Another 30 percent are sensitive sleepers. You are bothered by any light source, the ticking of the clock or the breathing of the person next to you, especially when you are falling asleep. So they are not really sleep-disturbed yet.
It's like this: As we get older, we not only get wrinkles, our sleep also ages: We have a little less deep sleep, dream a little less, and have short, nightly waking phases more often. But we don't notice them – and go back to sleep. It's all natural and nothing to worry about.
Can the sleep type change? Do you go from the morning lark to the night owl or vice versa?
Yes and no. Rather, when we are young, we tend to be the owl who goes to bed late and gets up late. The behavior normalizes in the course of life. In fact, as we get older, we are more inclined to lark. Otherwise it is not dramatic if you get tired by 8 p.m. and wide awake at four in the morning. Then you still have a healthy seven and a half hours of sleep, but an advanced sleep phase. You can adjust this phase again so that you can participate in social life. Specialists or sleep centers in hospitals can also offer help if necessary.
But what if I don't necessarily have insomnia, but wake up every now and then and can no longer fall asleep?
Get up, read, knit. Just do something. Sleep comes by itself. Or watch an animal documentary that is as boring as possible.
Screens emit waking blue light. Don't we need darkness to make the sleep hormone melatonin?
If watching TV helps you sleep, it's perfectly fine. And the effects of melatonin are somewhat overestimated. It is a rather weak sleep hormone.
The sleep hormone tryptophan is found in milk – a nightcap against sleep disorders?
If you want to consume sleep-promoting amounts of milk, you have to drink several liters! But something warm to help you sleep is a good idea. Because the stomach then works and also draws blood from the brain. That makes you sleepy – think about the low after lunch.
Then the famous bed treats also help to fall asleep better?
Absolutely! Instead of going to bed hungry, it is better to have a bite to eat. What you eat should be warm, but also sweet, or high in carbohydrates. Nibbling on a piece of cheese is not so good because proteins keep you awake.
Reading tips: You can read everything about sleep restrictions here. We also reveal what helps if you are constantly tired and what twitching means before falling asleep.