ANCSLEEP BLOG

Getting Older Often Means More Sleep Problems

As you get older, the likelihood that you will develop or report sleeping issues will increase with age. This is because sleep patterns will change over time, requiring you to adapt in order to acquire adequate sleep. Examples of these changes include:

• You will likely sleep less than 7 hours at night
• Your sleep may feel less restful during the night
• You may be more inclined to nap
• The times that you go to bed and wake up will also likely change

As an adult, you should average 7-9 hours of sleep every day. However, these hours do not have to be continuous.

Younger individuals often have less challenges with sleeping throughout the night uninterrupted. But as sleep patterns change with age, getting the same amount of uninterrupted sleep may seem impossible.

Regardless, it's still vital for the body to obtain 7-9 hours of sleep. To obtain this, even with shorter sleeping periods at night, older adults often have to supplement their nightly sleep with long, daily naps, or separate their sleep into two long sessions with a break of wakefulness. The method in which one acquires this sleep is irrelevant, but what is important, is that getting the requisite amount of sleep is a conscious effort that requires intention and planning. 

The causes of the changes are multifactorial - stress, family, job changes, hormones, nature - and can make one more susceptible to certain sleep disorders. Let’s look at some of the sleep disorders that are more common in older people.

The common conception about athletic performance is that it’s a result of physical performance. While this is partly true, maintaining high quality athletic performance is a combination of physical and cognitive performance/health. Athletics requires high levels of both physical and mental energy through movement and a very high degree of focus/concentration.

Sleep is one of the most, if not the most, critical component in maintaining cognitive and physical performance for athletes. There is a plethora of information about:

• The relationship between physical performance and sleep
• The relationship between cognitive performance sleep
• How much sleep can improve athletic performance

Let’s look at each area in more detail.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Sex

Sleep deprivation can greatly affect a male’s sexual drive. Specifically, it can quickly result in Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The fact that sleep deprivation can cause ED is usually quite shocking, and may be good news for men who are suffering with ED but don’t know why.

Sleep deprivation can cause ED in all of the following ways:

• Reduce your sex drive (reduced libido)
• Make you unable to get an erection
• Make you unable to maintain an erection

Sleep deprivation results from getting less than optimal sleep amounts, which for adults, is 7-9 hours per day. A couple nights of sleep deprivation is not likely to cause ED, though you may feel decreased libido in that time period.

However, chronic sleep deprivation, such as sleep deprivation caused by sleep disorders, is more likely to result in erectile dysfunction.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition and sleeping disorder characterized by repeated cessations of breathing throughout the night, anywhere from 5-30 times an hour. During each pause, the body wakes up to begin breathing again, however, the sleeper will not remember these events. These pauses occur because the throat becomes blocked by collapsed muscles in the back of the neck during exhalation. Each blockage/arousal cycle is called an apnea or apnea event.

What are the Two Types of Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that consists of individuals struggling to achieve their nightly 8 hours. There are two types of insomnia, and two modes of insomnia. 

The two types of insomnia are:

• Primary insomnia – insomnia with no clear, underlying issue 
• Secondary insomnia – insomnia as a direct result of something else

The two modes of insomnia are:

• Acute insomnia – short term (1 month or less)
• Chronic insomnia – long term (greater than 1 month)

This means that there are four possible types of insomnia.

• Secondary/acute insomnia – temporary insomnia in response to a temporary illness, stress, etc.
  • “Ever since my surgery two weeks ago I can’t get more than a couple hours of sleep per night”
• Primary/acute insomnia – temporary insomnia with no underlying cause
  • “I just can’t seem to sleep at all this month”
• Secondary/chronic insomnia – long-term insomnia in response that is long-term and may be secondary to chronic conditions such as pain, long term illness, etc.
  • “Ever since my back injury last year I wake up constantly throughout the night in pain”
• Primary/chronic insomnia – long-term insomnia with no discernable cause
  • “I haven’t slept more than a few hours at a time all year and I don’t know why”

Living with chronic sleep deprivation will make it harder to live a quality life. When someone is exhausted, it is very difficult to function well. Many conditions cause chronic sleep deprivation, such as:

• Sleep apnea
• Insomnia
• Parasomnias
• Restless leg syndrome
• Circadian rhythm disorders

Chronic sleep deprivation is defined by most studies as getting six or less hours of sleep on a regular basis. Let’s look at the critical ways chronic sleep deprivation impacts the quality of your life and, in turn, how getting good sleep can positively impact your life.

Insomnia is a frustrating sleeping disorder that can affect mental, physical, social, and spiritual health. Insomnia can be temporary or chronic, and caused by something or seem to appear without cause. Those with insomnia have, likely, tried many things to fall and stay asleep. Here are some rather creative and additional tips for overcoming insomnia and improving sleep.

Relationship Between and Age

Age is likely the most important factor in how much sleep one needs. Additionally, sleep patterns and circadian rhythms change with age. Most individuals will not have similar sleep patterns at 10, 20 and 50 years of age. 

Why does this matter? Sleep deprivation is not always caused by lack of sleep at night. Even if someone cannot sleep enough at night, they can certainly nap during the day to get the recommended 7-9 total hours of sleep. Changes in sleep pattern may affect both the ability to sleep at night and during the day. 

Additional influences of sleep are personal factors. Each individual has unique work and life circumstances that dramatically affect when, where, and how one sleeps. Such life factors also need to be taken into account when evaluating whether or not one sleeps enough.

Let’s look at how much sleep you need based on age.

The Relationship Between Your Immune System and Sleep

The immune system and sleep are intimately connected. Sleep loss impacts immune response and, in turn, immune system failures impact sleep. If one is trying to avoid getting sick, consistent quantiful and quality sleep is one of the best ways to prevent illness and ensure optimal recovery.

Molecules called cytokines are signaling molecules in the immune system and the brain. Sleep deprivation decreases the body’s production of cytokines and inhibits immune response to illnesses, such as:

• Flu
• Colds
• Chronic illness

Specifically, a lack of sleep prevents the immune system from building up its forces, meaning that it will be overloaded by illness and likely take longer to recover.

During illness, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines correspond with increased fatigue, which is why fatigue is a symptom of illness – it’s the body’s way shutting down to sleep for a quicker recovery.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious medical condition and sleeping disorder that can lead to severe sleep deprivation. OSA causes repeated cessations in breathing throughout the night, anywhere from 5-30 times per hour. This happens because the muscles in the back of the throat relax at night, blocking the airway. With each pause, the body must wake up to begin breathing again, however, the sleeper normally does not remember these events. Each blockage/arousal cycle is called an apnea or apnea event. Therefore, they awake each morning very tired but are unsure why.