Your sleep cycle changes as you age, but there are methods to be sure you get a great night's rest.
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Most men experience insomnia as they age. They have trouble falling asleep, waking up at night, after which going back to sleep.
What's keeping you?
Sleep is more vital as you age. Healthy sleep is related to higher cognitive function, lower rates of inflammation and heart disease, and higher resistance to viruses like influenza and the common cold.
On the opposite hand, individuals who sleep less have the next risk of dementia, depression, memory loss, confusion and anxiety. “It's simple: People who sleep better are healthier and live longer,” says Dr. Epstein.
Sleep occurs in a sequence of stages, including periods of no-dream and deep sleep plus occasional periods of lively dreaming, referred to as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This cycle is repeated several times throughout the night. However, older people spend more time in the sunshine stages of sleep than in deep sleep. “When you're in the light stages, it's easier to wake up, which makes it harder to get back to sleep,” says Dr. Epstein.
Unfortunately, you possibly can't change this recent sleep cycle, so the goal is to deal with the problems that wake you up from light sleep. The most typical are sleep disorders, equivalent to insomnia, the necessity to urinate at night, and restless legs syndrome.
Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue behind the throat collapses during sleep and blocks the upper airway. This causes people to experience short pauses in respiration several times throughout the night. Your bed partner can often help discover sleep deprivation. If you reside alone, search for symptoms equivalent to morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and problems with concentration.
If you think that you've got sleep apnea, see your doctor. You may have to learn to sleep able that keeps your airway open. Another option is to make use of a continuous positive airway pressure device, which consists of a mask that's connected to a bedside machine via a tube. The machine blows air through a tube and places a mask over your airways to maintain your airways open whilst you sleep.
Nocturia Nocturia (waking to make use of the toilet) disrupts the primary three to 4 hours of sleep, that are considered a very powerful for recovery. “Do not drink any water or other beverages close to bedtime, as this may increase the need to urinate at night,” says Dr. Epstein.
Also, if you happen to take diuretics (“water pills”) to regulate hypertension, check with your doctor about possibly adjusting your dose. If you continue to have problems with nocturia, it might be related to other conditions that require medical attention, equivalent to a bladder or urinary tract infection or an enlarged prostate.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). People with RLS experience a tingling, crawling, or pins-and-needles sensation in a single or each legs that causes a continuing urge to maneuver the legs. This feeling is usually worse at night. See your doctor for more details about medications and exercises used to treat RLS.
How much sleep do you wish? |
Get some rest
There are other problems that may disrupt sleep as well, equivalent to depression, arthritis, and lack of exercise, so check with your doctor if you happen to think any of those would be the problem. According to Dr. Epstein, you can too improve the standard of your sleep by practicing good sleep habits. For example:
Maintain a daily sleep schedule. Approach sleep like several other structured a part of your life. Go to bed at the identical time every night, and provides yourself about an hour before to rest, shower, and brush your teeth.
“Ritual tells your body and mind it's time to slow down, which can make it easier to fall asleep,” says Dr. Epstein. Also, don't have anything distracting or stimulating within the bedroom, equivalent to the TV, computer or phone. Make sure the bedroom is dark and quiet, and if needed, hearken to a white noise machine to aid you chill out.
See Caffeine and Alcohol. Caffeine is a stimulant that could make it difficult to go to sleep. Alcohol makes you sleepy, but can disrupt sleep. Avoid eating or drinking at the very least two hours before bed, or earlier if it makes a difference to you.
Be careful with sleep. Sleep quality can have a positive or negative effect on sleep quality, says Dr. Epstein. “If you sleep too late in the day or too close to your normal bedtime, like after 5 p.m., it can disrupt your sleep routine,” he says. Still, if you happen to're always sleepy throughout the day, a 20- to 30-minute nap could be rejuvenating. Set a timer so that you don't oversleep, and take a look at to nap at a particular time of day, equivalent to early or late afternoon.
Sleep is a vital a part of a healthy life, so do all the things you possibly can to take care of the standard of your sleep. “Insomnia often becomes a habit, and people start worrying about not falling asleep before going to bed, which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep,” says Dr. Epstein. “But with the right approach, poor sleep is something anyone can eventually overcome.”