Sleeping patterns change with age
American playwright Wilson Mizner once said that, "the amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more." Ask Bruce Martin, professor of physiology at Indiana University, and he'll tell you, "Sleep is like thirst or hunger -- without it we can't function normally."
Martin often teaches a popular course about sleep at IU's Mini University. He says that much like thirst or hunger, the amount of sleep required by individuals varies. Some people need eight hours of sleep per night, while others may be fine with five. Generally, people actually require less sleep as they grow older, yet for older adults, physical challenges can make getting some quality Zs a challenge.
Banking sleep?
An important concept in the study of sleep is that of "sleep debt." As the term indicates, sleep debt is the number of hours an individual is lacking in his or her sleep needs. According to Martin, a small sleep debt of a few hours can make it easier to sleep and make sleep more satisfying. However, too large of a sleep debt leads to daytime sleepiness, decreased alertness, decreased motivation and creativity, impaired cognitive ability, increased emotional reactivity and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
It is possible to pay down your sleep debt -- but not all in one night. He said studies have shown that it often takes several long sleeping periods. While a long weekend can allow you to catch up, it cannot allow you to get ahead. The body cannot store up sleep for the future.
Passing for rested
In addition, people cannot train themselves to sleep less. In circumstances where it seems to happen, the explanation is usually that individuals are operating with a high sleep debt. People with relatively high sleep debts can sleep more efficiently, but keeping a high sleep debt is detrimental to daytime performance.
The influences of alcohol or relaxation remove inhibiting stresses that keep us from feeling our high sleep debt. This is often what causes intense sleepiness to hit us suddenly when we return home or start to drink.
Martin describes how difficulty sleeping is often a problem as people age. The human body's sleeping capacity peaks at 10 years old -- after that we sleep progressively less well and for shorter periods. In addition to the stresses of everyday life, older Americans often face physical challenges such as bladder problems, estrogen drops, breathing disorders, higher weight, restless leg syndrome, pain, medication side effects and more.
In response to the challenges of sleep as we age, most doctors do not recommend expensive sleep therapies. Simple schedule and environmental changes can often make a significant difference.
What are the best conditions for sleep?
- The ideal sleeping temperatures are to have a relatively cool core temperature and a warmer skin temperature. A cool core temperature is achieved by not exercising or moving a lot right before bed. The easiest way to keep a warm skin temperature is to keep the room cool, and use heavy blankets.
- The ideal sleeping schedule is one that follows your body's natural circadian (24 hour) rhythm.
Tips for sleeping well
- In order to restore your sleep-wake cycle, try to maintain a mental association connecting bed with sleeping. This means that you should not use your bed, or even your bedroom, for activities other than sleep. Also, try to arise at the same time each morning and do not nap during the day.
- In order to improve sleep efficiency, restrict your time in bed to the optimal sleep duration -- if you can't sleep, don't stay in bed longer. It's important to keep to the schedule.
- Intrusive thoughts and tension can make sleeping difficult, so before bed try to relax as much as possible though meditation, muscle relaxation and calming mental imagery. Give yourself at least an hour between doing any kind of work and going to bed.
- Lower your bedtime anxiety by not worrying about sleep loss. Your body can handle a night of bad sleep -- you will simply sleep better the next night.
- Keep control of your health and sleep environment by sticking to guidelines on diet, exercise, caffeine and alcohol. Limit environmental disturbances such as light, noise and temperatures at night, but engage in physical activity and outdoor light exposure during the day.
This summer Martin will be teaching a health science course on "Keeping Our Skeleton Going: Maintaining Bone as We Age" for the 2009 Mini University. Registration for Mini University courses will be open until May 31. Find more information at https://alumni.indiana.edu/events/miniu/index.shtml.
