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Better Sleep After 50: A Practical Guide to Resting Well

ByIrene Novak

Do you wake up more at night than you used to, or find yourself wide awake at 5 a.m.? You’re in good company. Sleep often changes as the years go by.

The good news: changes in sleep are common, but feeling exhausted every day is not something you just have to live with. This guide covers what’s typical, what deserves a conversation with your doctor and everyday habits that can help.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends:

  • Ages 61 to 64: 7 to 9 hours a night
  • Ages 65 and older: 7 to 8 hours a night

In other words, the need for sleep doesn’t disappear with age. What often changes is how easily it comes and how deep it feels.

What Changes With Age

MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s health site, describes some common changes:

  • Total sleep time stays about the same or dips a little, to roughly 6.5 to 7 hours a night.
  • It can take longer to fall asleep.
  • People spend less time in deep sleep, so they tend to wake more easily. Many older adults wake 3 to 4 times a night and are more aware of being awake.
  • Waking earlier in the morning is common.

Other things can interrupt the night too, such as needing to use the bathroom, worry, or aches and pains from a long-term health condition.

The result is that some people feel short on sleep even when their total hours haven’t changed much. Poor sleep can leave you foggy and, as MedlinePlus notes, sleep problems are also a common sign of depression. That’s one more reason to bring them up with your doctor.

Common Sleep Problems Worth Mentioning

Some sleep troubles are more than “just getting older.” MedlinePlus and the CDC list several conditions that a health care provider can look into.

Insomnia

Insomnia means trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It’s one of the most common sleep problems in older adults. If it goes on for a while, MedlinePlus notes that a type of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with long-lasting insomnia. Your doctor can tell you whether it’s a fit for you.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is when breathing stops and starts during sleep. It can cause serious problems, so it’s worth taking seriously. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) lists signs such as:

  • Loud snoring
  • Pauses in breathing, or gasping for air during sleep (often noticed by a bed partner)
  • Feeling sleepy or tired during the day
  • Waking with a dry mouth or a headache
  • Waking up often at night to urinate

Many people don’t notice these signs themselves until someone points them out. A sleep study may be needed to find out for sure.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome causes an uncomfortable urge to move your legs, often when you’re resting in the evening. It’s another condition MedlinePlus lists among sleep problems that can affect older adults.

Habits That Help Many People Sleep Better

These tips come from the CDC and MedlinePlus. You don’t need to try them all at once. Pick two or three that seem doable and give them a couple of weeks.

Keep a Steady Schedule

  1. Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, weekends included.
  2. If you can’t fall asleep within about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet and relaxing in dim light. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
  3. Save your bed for sleep (and intimacy), not for watching TV or paying bills.

Set Up Your Bedroom for Rest

  • Keep the room quiet, cool and comfortable.
  • Turn off screens such as phones, tablets and TVs at least 30 minutes before bed. MedlinePlus suggests keeping them out of the bedroom altogether.
  • If you need to get up at night, a small night-light along the path to the bathroom can help you get there safely without switching on bright lights.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

  • Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Remember that tea, cola and chocolate have caffeine too, not just coffee.
  • Skip large meals close to bedtime. Some people find a light snack helps.
  • Go easy on alcohol before bed. It may make you drowsy at first, but it can wake you up later in the night.
  • Avoid tobacco, especially close to bedtime.

Move During the Day

  • Regular physical activity helps sleep, according to the CDC.
  • MedlinePlus suggests exercising at regular times but not within about 3 hours of bedtime.
  • MedlinePlus also suggests avoiding daytime naps if you have trouble sleeping at night.

Wind Down on Purpose

  • Choose calm activities in the last hour of the day: reading, soft music, a warm bath or gentle stretching.
  • Steer clear of upsetting news or exciting shows right before bed.
  • Try a simple relaxation routine, such as slow breathing, while lying in bed.

A Word About Sleep Medicines

It’s tempting to reach for a sleep aid, but MedlinePlus advises talking with your provider first. Older adults can respond differently to these medicines, and some can cause dependence or build up in the body. Some everyday medicines can affect sleep too.

Never start, stop or change a medicine on your own. Instead, bring a full list of everything you take, including over-the-counter products and supplements, and ask your doctor or pharmacist whether any of it might be affecting your sleep.

When to Talk to Your Doctor

The CDC suggests talking with your health care provider if you regularly have trouble sleeping or notice signs of a sleep disorder. Mention it especially if:

  • You snore loudly, or someone has seen you stop breathing or gasp during sleep
  • You feel very sleepy during the day, even after a full night in bed
  • You have trouble falling or staying asleep most nights for weeks
  • You have uncomfortable urges to move your legs in the evening
  • Poor sleep is affecting your mood, memory or safety, such as nodding off while driving

How to Prepare for That Conversation

Your doctor may ask you to keep a sleep diary. You can start one now with a notebook by your bed. For one to two weeks, jot down:

  1. What time you went to bed and got up
  2. About how long it took to fall asleep
  3. How many times you woke up, and why if you know
  4. Any naps, caffeine, alcohol or exercise that day
  5. How rested you felt in the morning

A few questions you might bring along:

  • Could any of my medicines or health conditions be affecting my sleep?
  • Do my symptoms sound like sleep apnea, insomnia or restless legs?
  • Would a sleep study make sense for me?
  • Is there a non-medicine approach, such as CBT for insomnia, that might help?
  • What changes should I try first, and when should I check back with you?

Bring the diary, your medicine list and these questions to your appointment. If you share a bed, ask your partner what they’ve noticed. It can be surprisingly helpful.

The Bottom Line

Sleep changes with age, but good rest is still within reach for most people. Small, steady habits often help, and a conversation with your doctor can uncover problems like sleep apnea that are very treatable.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own health.

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