| Experts say that older Americans often have difficulty | | | | As people age, they typically develop more diseases |
| getting good night's sleep. It is a big quality-of-life | | | | and suffer from aches and pains. Gammack noted |
| problem, since contrary to popular belief, the elderly | | | | that these things can disrupt sleep, so what they may |
| needs about the same amount of sleep as younger | | | | see as a sleep disorder may actually relate to the |
| adults. According to senior research associate Dr. | | | | effects of some of their other medical conditions. |
| Harrison Bloom of the International Longevity Center, | | | | Bloom also added that taking multiple medications, like |
| sleep problems together with sleeping disorders are | | | | most older people do, can also lead to fatigue and |
| not an inherent part of aging. In addition, he also said | | | | "hypers omnia", or being tired all the time. Another |
| that it's pretty much of a myth that older people need | | | | big problem, Bloom notes, would be depression and |
| less sleep than younger people. | | | | anxiety, since these conditions are commonly |
| But still, in a study published recently in the American | | | | associated with sleep problems. |
| Journal of Medicine, researchers found that more than | | | | But despite the prevalence of sleep difficulties in older |
| half of older Americans have problems in getting the | | | | adults, many patients are not getting the help they |
| sleep that they need. Dr. Julie Gammack, an assistant | | | | need. According to Vitiello, the average physician only |
| professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric | | | | receives little training regarding sleep disorders and |
| Medicine at St. Louis University and also the author of | | | | usually does not routinely screen patients for them. |
| the study said that older people tend to have "sleep | | | | This may be due to lack of time or training, or the |
| fragmentation", meaning they wake up more often | | | | belief that there is little that can be done to improve |
| during the night. She also added that older people | | | | sleep. As a result, sleep disturbances such as insomnia, |
| seem to get less "REM" sleep, the type of sleep during | | | | restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and circadian |
| which rapid eye movement occurs. | | | | rhythm disorders are left undiagnosed and untreated. |
| It is unclear what specific role these naturally occurring | | | | In somehow solving the problem, an organization on |
| changes in sleep patterns have on a person's quality | | | | aging, geriatrics and sleep is currently developing |
| of life, but what is important though, is that older people | | | | guidelines to promote prevention, diagnosis and |
| often have actual sleep disorders and sleep problems, | | | | treatment of sleep problems in older adults. According |
| according to Dr. Bloom. In line with this, experts say | | | | to Bloom, the reason why they are concerned with the |
| that there is usually more than one case. A professor | | | | problem, besides a major issue on the quality of life |
| of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate | | | | and being tired, is that sleep disorders are associated |
| director of the University of Washington's Northwest | | | | with hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart |
| Geriatric Education Center Michael Vitiello said that | | | | disease, depression, and anxiety. A cause and effect |
| sleep disturbance in older adults is typically associated | | | | relationship has yet to be established between sleep |
| with acute and chronic illnesses, including specific sleep | | | | disorders and these chronic health conditions, but |
| disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome | | | | Bloom suggests that they contribute to each other. |
| that appear with greater frequency in older populations. | | | | |