This season, there?s plenty reason for stress Houma Courier, Louisiana - Look for patterns including the time of day, a certain day of the week, or an event associated with the stress you experience most often. ...
Of sleep and dream teams BBC Sport, UK - As I have got older and my family has grown bigger, my sleep patterns have had to change. Put simply, I go to bed a lot earlier than I used to. ...
Part one of three part Wisconsin Public Radio series BusinessNorth.com, MN - "There was a change in practice patterns on the part of medical examiners and forensic pathologists with some questioning whether the cause of ...
When a parent loses a job Arizona Republic, AZ - Parents should watch for changes in sleep patterns, appetite, schoolwork, behavior and friendships. But children also can come through tough times unscathed ...
Anti-suicide efforts show progress Henderson Gleaner, KY - That information then will be used to piece together patterns about the suicides, information that then can be used to develop prevention practices. ...
Think your bed is all cozy? You're not alone Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - I personally won't eat at certain type of restaurants, in certain parts of town, because of the consistant patterns of infestation. ...
This is the teenager?s brain on peer pressure Science News - Nov 18, 2008 A second group received visual and verbal feedback about their stepping patterns, while the third group was distracted during the training process and asked ...
Source: Google News
Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: sleep + patterns + changing Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)
Study highlights bad sleepers The Press Association - Aug 3, 2008 Divorced middle-aged men are becomingly increasingly bad-tempered, emotional and are under-performing at work because of a lack of sleep, a study has ...
Divorced middle-aged men sleep less Times of India, India - Aug 4, 2008 Well, this won't help you sleep, suggests a new study. Researchers in Britain have found that separated men in their middle-age are becoming more and more ...
Divorced middle-aged man? This won't help you sleep Scotsman, United Kingdom - Aug 3, 2008 ... comfortable affected their sleeping patterns. A baby requires around 17 hours' sleep a day, whereas an older child needs about nine to ten hours a day. ...
Divorced middle-aged men spending sleepless nights Britain News, UK - Aug 4, 2008 Interestingly, the researchers have found that single female bar workers in their 20s are the United Kingdom's best sleepers with around ten hours sleep a ...
Sleep schedules and daytime functioning in adolescents - AR Wolfson, MA Carskadon - Child Dev, 1998 - JSTOR ... Manber, R., Pardee, RE, Bootzin, RR, Kuo, T., Rider, AM, Rider, SP, & Bergstrom,
L. (1995). Changingsleeppatterns in adolescence. Sleep Research, 24, 106. ...
The Subjective Assessment of Normal Sleep Patterns A McGhie, SM Russell - The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1962 - RCP ... Here again we might conclude that this change in the sleeppattern is not evident
in men until after the age of 65 years, whereas in women, disturbed sleep may ...
Parity and Sleep Patterns During and After Pregnancy - KA LEE, ME ZAFFKE, G MCENANY - acogjnl, 2000 - acogjnl.highwire.org ... 3?4 weeks old, there were still significantly disturbed maternal sleeppatterns. ...
There was a significant increase in deep sleep but no change in amount ...
Rape Trauma Syndrome - AW Burgess - Rape and Society: Readings on the Problem of Sexual Assault, 1995 - books.google.com ... me"). Victims may change residence and telephone number in order to feel
safe and anonymous. Disturbance in sleeppattern. In the ...
Sleep Architecture and Respiratory Disturbances in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea - DYT GOH, P GALSTER, CL MARCUS - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2000 - Am Thoracic Soc ... normal sleeppatterns (ie, until spontaneous awakening in the morning) to see if
apnea events would worsen further, or if there would be a significant change...
Source: Google Scholar
Sleep in the Elderly: Problems and Solutions
Changing Sleep Patterns
Sleep changes as we age – as any one over the age of 50 knows. Not only do changes in sleep patterns occur, but there is also an increased incidence of many sleep disorders. Frequent awakenings
One of the most common changes in the elderly is the occurrence of frequent awakenings during the night. While these awakenings are sometimes caused by physical conditions (pain, the need to urinate) it has been shown that the aging process itself causes sleep to become more fragmented.
Changes in the biological clock
Another change that can occur with aging is a shifting of the biological clock. Many elderly people are surprised that they fall asleep earlier in the evening and may awaken before sunrise. The biological clock – the part of the brain that regulates sleep, temperature, and certain hormones – shifts sleep and wake times, so that it becomes more difficult to stay awake in the evening and easier to wake up early in the morning.
Changes in the level of sleep
In addition to the timing of sleep, the levels of sleep change as you age. There is less of the very deep sleep known as delta or slowwavesleep and more light sleep. While the level of sleep may change, the total number of hours of sleep may not change much from when you were younger.
Hormonal changes
The hormones involved with sleep also change in the elderly. You have probably heard of melatonin, which is sometimes referred to as the "hormone of darkness" because it is produced in the absence of light. The role of melatonin in sleep is controversial. We know that melatonin levels decrease with age but we do not know the significance of this reduction, or if melatonin pills help elderly people (or others, for that matter) who have trouble falling or staying asleep. Also, many people who try melatonin take it an incorrect times, and may not reap its benefits.
Sleep Hygiene
Ironically, many of the above symptoms are made worse by the things that people do to try to compensate for their changing sleep patterns. At any age, it is important to have proper sleep habits – what we refer to as "good sleep hygiene". But as we grow older, it becomes increasingly vital to maintain healthy sleep hygiene, since many older people unknowingly violate it trying to correct their altered sleeping habits.
The following are five important points to remember about sleep hygiene:
Do not spend too much time in bed and avoid naps when you can: It is important to spend only the time in bed you truly need. When you have had a poor night's sleep and feel awful the next morning, you might believe that if you spend more time in bed you will get more sleep.
Unfortunately, what generally happens when you spend extra time in bed is that your sleep becomes fragmented. Periods of sleep alternate with frequent awakening. In other words, if you only need 5 hours of sleep but spend 7 hours in bed, you will lie awake for at least 2 out of the 7 hours. These alternating periods of sleep and awakening will cause the 'unrefreshed feeling' you were trying to avoid by staying in bed longer.
The solution is to figure out how much sleep time you need, which might be different from how much sleep you want. You can do this by keeping track of the total number of hours spent sleeping in a 24 hour period (remember to include any daytime naps) for two weeks and then calculate the average sleep you get in 24 hours. You should stay in bed only for the time you need to sleep plus 30 minutes (to allow for some time to fall asleep) each night. For example, if you need 6 hours of sleep, spend only 6.5 hours in bed. The corollary is to avoid naps (if you like to nap, just decrease your time in bed at night) since napping will take away from the time you will sleep at night.
Use the bed only for sleeping: It sounds silly but our bodies pick up on a lot of subconscious clues. If you have trouble falling asleep, try avoiding non-sleep-related activities in bed. Therefore, do not pay bills, watch television or read in bed. Use the bed only for sleeping and sex.
Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and coffee in the evening: Alcohol relaxes you and can help you fall asleep. However, when the alcohol wears off it has the opposite effect, causing awakening and fragmented sleep during the remainder of the night. Therefore, avoid the "nightcap" and do not drink alcohol within six hours of bedtime.
Cigarettes are relaxing but make you more alert – and therefore make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. If you must smoke, have your last cigarette at least three hours before going to bed.
Caffeine, as we all know, helps us wake up, so you should avoid it after 3:00 p.m.
Exercise: Exercise is great at any age and when you exercise in the late afternoon, it increases the amount of deep sleep that you will experience. However, exercise in the evening can get your adrenaline pumping and keep you awake.
Wind down: Don't expect yourself to fall asleep immediately. Wind down in the evenings. Develop a relaxing routine such as reading (in a chair) before getting into bed.
If maintaining healthy sleep hygiene doesn't help, it is possible that you might have a more serious problem.
Common Sleep Disorders
Three sleep disorders become more prevalent in the elderly: sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (and periodic limb movements of sleep) and REM behavior disorder.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea refers to a breathing problem that can occur during sleep. In sleep, the muscles in the pharynx (the back of the throat) relax, allowing it to constrict. This partial collapse of the pharynx can sometimes lead to inadequate airflow. The body senses poor airflow and takes a deep breath, which leads to an arousal. These deep breaths and consequent arousals can occur 50-100 times an hour, severely disrupting sleep.
Sleep Apnea is diagnosed by an overnight study of sleep and breathing patterns called a polysomnogram. While there are many treatments for sleep apnea, the most common utilizes a nasal CPAP – a machine that blows pressurized air in through the nose, helping people with this condition get adequate airflow to the lungs, allowing them to sleep well and feel refreshed.
Important signs and symptoms of sleep apnea to watch for are:
Snoring
Pauses in breathing while asleep
The need to urinate many times at night (without having a large prostate)
Being overweight
Non-refreshing sleep
It is important to note that many people over the age of 70 may have sleep apnea without snoring. If your sleep is unrefreshing, it is important to ask your doctor whether you may have sleep apnea.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is not often discussed, but is actually fairly common, occurring in 10-15% of the population. People with RLS complain of a discomfort in the legs (rarely the arms or chest) that is relieved only by walking. The feeling is often described as ants crawling on the skin.
This uncomfortable sensation only occurs when a person is not moving (either sitting still or lying down) and is always worse at night. Generally, people afflicted with RLS also notice that they unconsciously move their legs as well. Sometimes they describe their legs as jumping on their own, or they notice that while sitting, they are constantly jiggling them. Since RLS occurs mostly at night while the body is at rest and is relieved by movement, falling asleep and staying asleep can become very difficult.
Even when RLS sufferers manage to fall asleep, they have frequent jerking of the limbs called periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS). Many elderly people develop PLMS – 34% of those over age 60 – even people who do not suffer from RLS and who have no other sleep complaints. The number of people who have the symptoms of RLS increases with age, and some people who had mild symptoms when they were younger may find that the symptoms get much worse as they age.
There are many different medications available to treat both RLS and PLMS. These include medications that are usually used for Parkinson's disease, pain control and seizure disorders. It is important never to treat yourself for this condition, but instead to see a doctor with special knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of RLS.
REM Behavior Disorder
REM behavior disorder (RBD) occurs when someone acts out a dream in his or her sleep. Usually when you dream, your muscle tone is decreased – you are, in fact, partially paralyzed. In rare instances, some people do not have a decrease in their muscle tone and begin to act out their dreams. In addition, the dreams frequently become more violent than normal, and are often described as nightmares. The classic situation is one in which someone wakes up punching a pillow and remembers dreaming he was in a fight.
RBD is very rare, occurring most frequently in older men. Common causes of RBD include the use of certain medications (especially anti-depressants such as Prozac and Paxil) and withdrawal from certain sedatives (such as alcohol). RBD can also be associated with Parkinson's Disease, narcolepsy, and certain other neurologic diseases (e.g. rare brain degeneration disorders, strokes in certain areas of the brain). Usually, however, the cause is a mystery. Fortunately, there is effective medication for this problem. If you would like more information, check with a sleep specialist in your area, or call the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, at (507) 287-6006.
Conclusion
There are many changes in sleep that occur with aging and a few disorders that become more common as we age. It is therefore very important to remember to maintain healthy sleep hygiene as you age. If you think you may have a serious sleep disorder, you should discuss your concern with your internist or primary care physician to see if you need referral to a sleep specialist for further testing and treatment. Sweet dreams!
