What happened to my sleep?

As a child, you fought naps and your mother probably thought you were crazy. During your teen years, you turned sleeping in into an art form. As a young parent, worry kept you up some nights, but when your kids weren’t crawling in your bed, you slept just fine. Even when the kids left home, you slept reasonably well. It was around the time you retired, though, that sleep started to evade you. What was stealing your sleep? Your kids were happily married, doing well. Your house was paid off, your health was good. What could it be?

Few of us realise the significant effect that ageing has on our sleep patterns. Sure, we feel the aches and pains that accompany getting older, but what is it doing to our sleep? Discover below which factors affect how much quality sleep you get as you age.

Hormones

If you’re a woman, you likely started to see changes in your sleep patterns with the onset of menopause. Hormones influence the circadian rhythms–which influence sleep-wake cycles–ingrained in every cell of your body. This might explain the early-to-bed routines of the elderly.

When researchers in Texas compared the cells of young people to the elderly, they saw a marked change in the circadian rhythm and suggested that hormones were to blame. “Our results suggest that hormonal changes can alter cellular clocks and these changes in turn might underlie the differences in circadian behaviour caused by ageing,” write researcher Lucia Pagani, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

If you think that your hormones are affecting your sleep negatively, you’re going to bed too early and waking to early, or you can’t seem to fall asleep at all, there are a few things you can do. If your circadian rhythms have been affected (you are going to bed earlier and earlier), try pushing your bedtime an hour each week until you’re going to bed later–at nine or ten at night. If you’re still waking too early, it might be the light. Try purchasing blackout curtains for your bedroom–this may help reset your circadian rhythms.

If hot flashes or night sweats are keeping you awake at night, try a cooling pillow to help keep you more comfortable. If you find it difficult to wind down at night, taking a hot bath, drinking chamomile tea, or putting lavender essential oil on your pillow may help you drift off easier.

Discomfort

Ageing comes with aches and pains. But it doesn’t help if you’re sleeping on the wrong surface. If you’re waking up with a stiff, sore body, you may be sleeping on the wrong mattress. Many elderly people are still sleeping on the same beds they slept on in middle age, despite the changes their bodies have gone through. Youthful bodies don’t need the same kind of support that ageing bodies do–those futon days are over. It’s time for an upgrade.

If you’re on a limited budget and can’t afford an entirely new mattress, try adding more support. A mattress topper can create a new, more supportive surface and give your body, joints, and pain points the comfort they need. A topper can only do so much, though. If your bed has a visible dent–more than half an inch–in it from your body or you roll into the middle towards your partner frequently, it may be worth it to replace your entire mattress.

Oxygen

Poor oxygen supply can lead to chest pain and discomfort, which can make sleeping difficult. As you age, your skeleton weakens and changes shape and your rib cage and lungs become compromised, leading to lung capacity and efficiency issues. That means every breath you take is extra important for your health because oxygen loss can lead to dizziness and falls—the primary cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in seniors.

Don’t go out and get an oxygen tank just yet, though. Bring some plant life into your bedroom! Certain flora like the spider plant, peace lily, and snake plant are known air purifiers. This means they remove harmful, volatile organic compounds from the air. These plants also filter carbon dioxide and replace it with clean oxygen, so there’s more pure air for you to take in as you sleep.

It’s clear that ageing can affect sleep. Luckily, though, there are a few things you can do about it. If your sleep problems persist, it may be time to seek medical advice. Sometimes, medications can have a negative impact on sleep. It’s crucial to consult your doctor if you begin trying herbal supplements or sleep aids, especially if you’re taking other medications. Hopefully, you are on your way to better sleep soon.

Have you experienced problems with sleeping as you’ve gotten older?