Abundant life for the rest of your life.
Abundant life for the rest of your life.
As we age, less sleep is normal, right? Right. Most people experience changes in sleep patterns as they age, with older adults generally needing less sleep than younger people. Still, most adults require at least six hours of restful sleep to avoid the effects of sleep deprivation-which include fatigue, mood changes, lowered blood glucose levels, and difficulty with memory and problem solving.
What causes sleep disorders? Common disorders are insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep) and hypersomnia (sleeping too much). People who can't sleep often suffer from depression, anxiety, and physical pain and discomfort-including sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep) and restless leg syndrome (creepy-crawly feelings in one's feet or legs). Insomnia can in turn make depression/pain worse.
How do hormones affect women's sleep? Many women experience sleep disruptions both during and after their reproductive years-before or in the first few days of menstruating, during pregnancy, and throughout menopause (aggravated by hot flashes and more frequent urination). Moreover, hormonal changes disturb the delicate workings of the body's internal clock, which ordinarily regulates temperature and other bodily functions, making sleep highly uncomfortable if not impossible.
How can I sleep better? Treating the underlying problems of sleep generally allows normal sleep patterns to return. Good sleep habits include eliminating both caffeine and alcohol (which may help you fall asleep but can disrupt restful sleep), avoiding exercise and cigarettes close to bedtime, and practicing-paradoxically-sleep restriction, which helps you associate bed to sleep by limiting bedroom activities to sleep and sex. Many people also find relief from stress-reduction practices and hot teas, warm baths, and scented oils made with such herbs as chamomile, black cohosh, or lavender. Prescription sleep aids are useful for short episodes but may become habit-forming in time.
What about dreaming? We all dream, whether we remember or not. If dreams are especially vivid, unusual, or recurring, they could be telling us that something in life needs our attention.
Signs of Sleep Disorder
Most people have sleep problems at some time in their life. But here are some signs that a significant sleep disorder may require treatment: