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Sleep as we grow older

The article looks at the latest research into sleep patterns and finds evidence that older people may actually sleep less than younger people.

Author: Catherine Barron

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In the most recent issue of Current Biology, researchers suggest that healthy old people lose some capacity for sleep. The research group at the University of Surrey, UK, recruited 18 participants aged between 60 and 72 years, and 35 participants aged between 18 and 32 years. They were all healthy and none had any problems in sleeping. Their sleep patterns were assessed by self-reporting, and those reports were followed up by formal monitoring overnight in a sleep laboratory.

The headline news from this small sample was that the older participants took longer to fall asleep and spent slightly less time asleep. Many of the older adults slept about 1.5 hours less than those in the younger groups. This was established in an slightly unusual part of the trial. The participants were invited into the laboratory and asked to sleep for as long as they wished over periods of 16 hours lying in bed in a darkened room. On average, the older participants slept for 7 hours as against 8.5 hours for the younger participants.

Over the period of the study, the older group went to sleep and woke earlier. The young preferred sleeping after midnight and waking later. The older slept between 7 and 9 hours, while the younger slept between 6 and 10 hours. But it is important to recognise that the two averages were quite similar, i.e. 8.1 hours for older participants and 8.5 for younger ones. Finally, if older adult slept less at night, there was no increase in any afternoon napping to catch up. The older group simply prospered on less sleep. As an aside, in their self-reports, the younger participants appeared to underestimate the length of time they slept. There is evidence that people have more accidents and make more mistakes when they are tired. This is perhaps an indication that younger more active people should actually sleep for longer.

There has always been anecdotal evidence that sleep patterns change as people age, but there is little objective evidence of this. For the purposes of diagnosing and treating sleep disorders, it always has been important to collect scientific evidence.

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Want to read the latest news and discussions from Catherine Barron? Visit http://www.sweetdreamsadvice.com/blog/sleep-as-we-grow-older.html to get his latest insights on many different subjects in the world.

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Sleep as we grow older