Insomnia In Older People Often Neglected

Insomnia in older people are often neglected by their doctors even though treatment of insomnia could improve mental and physical health and improves their quality of life.

This is the found by new research from the Feinberg school of Medicine at Northwestern University.

When patients of age sixty and above visited their doctors, they did not note the sleep problems.

Independent social workers who interviewed the same patients learned that seventy percent of them had at least one sleep disorder while forty five percent said that they had difficulty staying asleep, being able to sleep, or falling asleep.

Doctors may not think it is important to ask the patient about sleep. Researchers assume that doctors think that sleep problems are normal part of aging, said Kathryn Reid, Ph.D., lead authority on study and research assistant professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg school of Medicine.

Reid also said that patients also assume sleep problems are common as they grow older and no need to mention to their doctors.

Some changes in sleep are common such as reduction in slow wave or deep sleep starting at the age of forty five is natural as we grow older. But insomnia is not common as it results from different conditions.

Reid also said that not getting enough sleep can lower your metabolic function associated with cardiovascular problems, cancer and breast cancer in women and sleep deprivation and depression can change your criteria of sleep.

Insomnia occurs in older patients due to neurological disorders such as dementia, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s; psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety [Managing Depression]; or organ system failures such as incontinence, asthma, or congestive heart failure.

The most common problem of insomnia is shift of the circadian rhythm. The older people may be sleeping during the day and they will be awake up to midnight.

Being wakeful at night and sleeping during the day disturbs their circadian rhythm. Retired people who don’t have regular job schedule, nap during the day and arise in irregular time.

Insomnia can reduce quality of life; increase the incidence of bodily pain and ill health, decrease job performance and increase the risk of accidents.

Insomnia can be treated in older people by following good hygiene. Good sleep hygiene includes:

• Going to bed at the same time
• Getting up in the morning at the same time
• Keeping the bed for only sex and sexual activities
• Dim lighting should be present in the room and exposure to bright light in the morning
• Keeping the room temperature low and comfortable
• Avoiding napping during the day
• Maintaining regular schedule for meals
• Avoiding heavy meals before bedtime
• Avoiding alcohol before bedtime
• Exercising regularly

Treating insomnia improves physical and mental health and quality of life will be improved. Bright light therapy, meditation and exercise help in treating insomnia.

Older people should discuss sleep problems with their doctor if they are suffering from insomnia. Accordingly, the doctors treat the patients with medications which reduce insomnia or recommends behavioral therapy for insomnia.