• Sleeping Stages and Need
• Airway Pressure Advantages
• Sleep Apnea Diagnosing
• Sleep Apnea Causes & treatment
• Sleep Apnea Treatment
• Causes of Excessive Sleepiness
• Child Settling Problems
• Sleep Disorders
• Sleep Disturbances
• Dreams Psychology
• What Happens During Sleep
• Excessive Sleepiness Trouble Shooting
• Common Factors Producing Insomnia
• Family Bed-Sleeping with Baby
• Teach Child Good Sleep Habits
• Know about How Babies Sleep
• How Long to Sleep and Need
• Idiopathic Hypersomnia Reasons
• Insomnia Causes
• Insomnia Treatment
• Insomnia Definition and Cause
• International Health Problem
• Medications Helps Child Sleep Better
• Medications Improves Sleep Cycle
• Hard to Get up in the Morning
• First Move Against Insomnia
• Narcolepsy Sleep Attacks
• How Narcolepsy is Diagnosed
• Know About Night Waking
• Nightmares & Terrors
• Nightmares to Frightened
• Nocturnal Myoclonus Movement
• Restore Normal Breathing During Sleep
• Oral Appliances Treatment Options
• Overcome Common Aging Sleep Problems
• Parasomnia Exam and Tests
• Pre-School Children Problem
• Factors Reducing Treatments Effects
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• School Age Children Sleep Problems
• Sleep Problems for Elders
• Sleep and Aging Problems
• Relief Social Stress by Insomnia
• Sleep Disorder FAQ
• Sleeping Related Glossary

Sleep and Aging: Problems

Sleep patterns change as people age. Newborn babies sleep about 16 hours per day and spend about 50% of that time in REM sleep. Older people (50-85 years old) sleep only 5.75-6 hours per day and spend 13.8-15% of that time in REM sleep.

Aging change our Sleep Patterns

If you are finding it increasingly difficult to get a full night's rest as you grow older, you are not alone. Over 50% of men and women over age 65 complain of at least one chronic sleep problem.

Sleep pattern changes, frequently reported by older adults, include:

• Sleeping less,
• Waking up more frequently,
• Getting less deep sleep,
• Experiencing more daytime tiredness, and
• Taking more naps during the day.

A profound change takes place in the physiology of sleep as a person ages. The change is noted in the quality of sleep-not quantity (hours slept). Most markedly, Stage IV sleep, the phase of "deep" and restorative sleep, is found to be deficient in seniors and the elderly. While the average adult experiences stage IV sleep about twice per night, this is decreased, or sometimes even absent, in older adults.