SUNDAY, April 27, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- Many older adults don't get enough sleep, which can increase the risk of serious health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
While sleep patterns do change as people age, disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day aren't a normal part of aging.
"As we get older, the amount of nightly sleep that we need remains the same as that of what we needed when we were younger. However the ability to get the sleep that we need does change. Older people have a hard time getting the sleep they need because of the interference of medical illness, the medications they take for those illnesses, and changes in their biological clock," Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and director of the sleep disorders clinic at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, said in a prepared statement.
Ancoli-Israel, who is also co-director of the Laboratory for Sleep and Chronobiology at the UCSD General Clinic Research Center, cited a number of common sleep disorders in the elderly:
Older adults who don't get enough sleep are more likely to feel depressed, have attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, more nighttime falls, and to use more over-the-counter or prescription sleep medications.
In order to get a better night's sleep, older adults should:
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about sleep and aging.