Does sleep get better with age? According to new research, our senior community may sleep less, but they are enjoying better sleep quality and feel more alert during the day.
The Taylor & Francis Group tells us that researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland have published some interesting findings in the journal of Annals of Medicine.
Data was collected on 6,733 participants between the ages of 35 and 75 years old, who were randomly selected between 2003 and 2006. All of the adults in the study were free of sleep disorders in order to focus on healthy adults and sleep patterns.
Overall, getting older was associated with a gradual shift towards being a morning person, as seniors go to bed and wake up earlier than the younger population. While the participants were observed sleeping less, they complained less about bring sleepy during the day.
Another difference was in the time it took for seniors to fall asleep at night, specifically amongst women who saw an increase in time with age. Older people were more also more likely to have restless nights and wake up more often in the middle of their snooze, compared to the younger participants. However, better sleep quality and higher daytime functioning was very common amongst the older participants.
Despite these findings of better sleep quality, sleep duration is important to reduce our risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer, and other serious health conditions. Aim for between 7-9 hours of shut-eye each night to be your best every day, and protect your future!
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