Insomnia in Senior Citizens

One of the most common sleep disorders is Insomnia.

Insomnia is the inability to get to sleep and stay asleep night after night.

It also involves irregular wakefulness and early morning awakening.

Actually, insomnia is not considered as a disease, but insomnia can be very annoying to the individual suffering from it.

Insomnia if left untreated can lead to sleep deprivation which can wreck havoc in an otherwise healthy adult’s life. People of both sexes and all age groups are affected by insomnia, even though it is most common in women and senior citizens.

Insomnia affects about one-third of senior adults and up to two-thirds of individuals over the age of fifty have one type of sleep problem or another according to the International Longevity Center.

The average senior citizen requires around 6  to 7  hours of sleep per night for proper functioning during the daytime.

Types of Insomnia

Insomnia can either be short-term (transient) or long-term (chronic). Long-term insomnia means that both the body and brain are not getting an adequate amount of rest which can usher in a host of other problems for the person.

Transient insomnia is common and temporary and generally is related to a stressful current event such as an impending divorce, a move, a vacation, a death in the family, anticipation about the arrival of a grandchild, etc.

Transient insomnia is not a serious problem and usually gives way to only a few nights of tossing and turning. However, if this continues for extended period of time then it has developed into a more serious form of insomnia- chronic insomnia (long term).

Causes of Insomnia

There are many factors that can cause insomnia in senior citizens. Some of these contributing factors include anxiety, depression, too much stress, illness, physical discomfort or pain, napping too often during the daytime hours, caffeine, alcohol, heavy smoking, a poor sleeping environment, medical conditions, retiring too early in the evening, too much time spent in bed or jet lag.

It is believed that over half of insomnia is caused due to anxiety, depression, grief or stress while the most common health problems include arthritis, breathing related problems, asthma, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and hypoglycemia.

Exercise

Many people are not aware of the fact that a lack of exercise can also contribute to insomnia. Exercising on a regular basis helps to improve the quality of a person’s sleep and serves to relieve the daily stresses of life.

Moderate exercise such as walking, 20 to 30 to thirty minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week is all that is required to help improve one’s quality of sleep.

A survey done by the National Sleep Foundation in 2003 found that of the 1506 respondents to the study, 52% of seniors reported enhanced sleep patterns when they exercised three or more times a week.

Depression

Depression can be a contributing factor in insomnia but it also can result in a person sleeping too much in order to not have to cope with the underlying cause of their depression or simply as an escape from it.

Depression can bring on insomnia but the reverse can also be the case. Sometimes insomnia can be caused by lifestyle choices such as bad eating habits and/or eating a large meal too close to bedtime.

Eating a large meal of greasy or spicy foods can exacerbate the problem even more. Keep in mind that alcohol, caffeine and nicotine are all drugs- alcohol is a depressant that interrupts normal sleep patterns while caffeine and nicotine are stimulants.

Anxiety

Just like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome can also be a cause of insomnia in seniors. A person lies awake at the night when he or she feels anxious or stressed and wrestle with their problems and possible solutions. This can become a habit that can very easily lead to chronic insomnia.

Other Causes

Pain in various parts of the body, excess weight and what is known as ambulatory restrictions are the other three common causes of insomnia. It is significant to keep in mind that insomnia in and of itself is not a disease but is most often symptomatic of a more serious disorder or disease.

Overall physical and mental health and well-being of senior adults can improve by getting a good night’s sleep. Being active throughout the day, eating properly and exercising can go a long way in helping insure that sleep will come easily at night.