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Sound sleep


When was the last time you feel asleep easily, slept through the night and woke up feeling refreshed? It’s common to experience changes in the quality and duration of your sleep as you get older, but that’s little comfort if you’re struggling through each day feeling tired.

By Kelly James

  • Winter 2022
  • Health and wellness
  • Read Time: 3 mins

Older adults need the same amount of sleep as anyone else—between seven and nine hours is recommended—but many find they’re going to bed and waking up earlier. 

Getting enough quality sleep is essential to your overall health, affecting both your physical and mental wellbeing. 

Potential side effects of not getting enough shut-eye can include physical and cognitive impairment (you may find your reflexes are slower, presenting a serious risk when driving, for example), worsening of other co-occurring health conditions, poor mental health and lower quality of life. 

Let’s take a look at some sleep disorders that commonly affect older Australians, and their causes and potential treatments.

Insomnia


Insomnia is characterised by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Sufferers also report waking too early in the morning, tiredness during the day and often find they get anxious about going to bed because they are worried about not sleeping. Often, insomnia is caused by sleep-related behaviours and habits, but can also be triggered by certain medications or an underlying condition like depression or anxiety.

Severe or persistent insomnia can be treated with medication prescribed by your doctor, however, there are plenty of things you can do to set yourself up for a great night's sleep, including:

  • Avoiding alcohol and caffeine after 6pm
  • Avoiding napping during the day
  • Using the bedroom only for sleep and intimate activity (no working or watching TV)
  • Aiming to rise at the same time each day
  • Getting enough exercise (but not in the three hours leading up to bedtime)
  • Putting your phone or computer away at least 30 minutes before bed (the blue light emitted by the screen can disrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm)
  • Avoiding excessive time in bed
  • If you’re having trouble falling asleep, getting up until you feel sleepy again. 

Sometimes insomnia can be caused by an out-of-whack body clock, which can be treated with bright light therapy.

Obstructive sleep apnoea


Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is when the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, resulting in poor sleep quality and, sometimes, low blood oxygen levels. OSA affects twice as many men as women and is common in mid-life. Obesity is a major risk factor for OSA, and symptoms include persistent snoring, morning headache and/or dry mouth, excessive sleepiness during the day and episodes of stopped breathing during sleep (usually noticed first by a partner). Left untreated, OSA may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

Diagnosis of OSA often involves an overnight stay in a sleep clinic where doctors can measure your breathing, sleep patterns, and blood oxygen levels.

Treatment recommendations may include:

  • A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, which is a pump that uses air pressure to splint open the airway at night
  • Weight loss
  • Avoiding back sleeping
  • Using a dental splint
  • In some cases, upper airway surgery.

If your partner’s snoring is beyond just being annoying, you’ve had to ‘kickstart’ them when they’ve seemingly stopped breathing during the night or you think youmight have OSA, it’s important to see your doctor as soon as possible.

Restless legs syndrome and periodic leg movements in sleep


Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a very unpleasant condition that is characterised by a tingling, creeping or crawling sensation in the legs which results in a strong desire to more or stretch them.

In severe cases, it can affect the arms as well. RLS often coexists with periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS), where the legs and feet move rhythmically during sleep. RLS and PLMS can be caused by underlying conditions such as diabetes and kidney diseases, so it’s important to seek a diagnosis to rule these out.

Affecting up to 15% of the population, RLS can begin at any age but often becomes more pronounced in the over-40 age group. RLS is also more common in women than in men.

You may have RLS if you experience:

  • An irresistible urge to move your legs, usually accompanied or caused by unpleasant sensations in the legs such as tingling, crawling, creeping, cramping, burning or even pain
  • Beginning or worsening of these symptoms when resting or inactive such as when sitting down to watch television, travelling in a car or aeroplane, or lying down to sleep at night
  • A partial or total relief with movement (such as stretching or getting out of bed to walk), massage, or having a bath
  • Worsening of the symptoms in the evening or at night
  • Involuntarily kicking or twitching of the legs during sleep.

For severe cases of RLS and/or PLMS medication may be warranted, but in milder cases, sufferers may find it helpful to:

  • Decrease intake of caffeine, avoid alcohol and nicotine
  • Engage in exercises focusing on stretching or bending (like yoga)
  • Apply hot or cold packs to affected limbs
  • Take hot or cold baths
  • Massage or rub affected limbs
  • Do mental alerting activities (like crossword puzzles)
  • Take iron supplements if iron stores are low (only as advised by your doctor).

Other factors


While ageing is a privilege, some of the accompanying symptoms are more of a nuisance. In addition to the aforementioned sleep disorders, older people may find they’re woken or kept awake by joint pain, muscle pain and needing to get up to urinate frequently during the night. Again, see your doctor if pain is severe or you experience any sudden changes in bathroom habits. You may also find it helps to limit alcohol and caffeine, reduce fluid intake before bed and make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and supportive. These days you can also buy couples’ mattresses (like the Snooze SleepTailor), where each side is customised to the individual’s needs. 

If you’re experiencing persistent issues with sleep, it’s important to see a doctor for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment—and to rule out any potentially serious underlying conditions. The impact of a good night’s sleep on your quality of life is priceless!

Want to read more stories like this?


This article is featured in the Winter 2022 issue of National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation

Become a member today and receive four free hard copy issues of Our Generation (valued at $31.96) a year as part of your membership, along with exclusive discounts, competitions, branch membership and more! 

Your membership directly funds our advocacy and research work that benefits older Australians including fixing pension poverty, tackling health care costs, and improving aged care.

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