Throughout our lives, we have heard about the importance of receiving the standard eight hours of sleep. While we tend to think that this is generally suggested to avoid early morning grumpiness and waking up on the wrong side of the bed, the fact is quality time on the mattress is a matter that shouldn’t be slept on. Countless studies and research has been focused on the hazardous health risks associated with those who fail to consistently receive adequate amounts of rest, and seniors are the ones who are at the greatest risk when it comes to not getting enough shut eye.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 44 percent of elderly people experience symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights per week, if not more. While periodic episodes of sleep disturbance can be a relatively common side effect of aging, frequent occasions of interrupted rest at night is a health issue that should not be ignored. Here are a few reasons why getting your eight hours of sleep every evening is so important, and a couple tips on how to attain better quality of rest.
Cognitive decline
In a collaborative study with researchers from universities all across the country, 2,822 elderly men with an average age of 76 were examined to determine the mental implications of enduring recurring instances of poor sleep quality. The professors discovered that participants who had an overall lower rate of sleep efficiency were associated with a 40-50 percent increase in the likelihood of experiencing cognitive decline. This included reduction in abilities to carry out decision making, error correction or abstract thinking tasks. From these results, researchers concluded that quality of sleep is crucial for optimum functioning for seniors.
Heightened risk of Alzheimer’s
Another study examined how inefficient sleep can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine analyzed 145 elderly volunteers to record sleep diaries accounting their quality of sleep while the doctors tested samples of their spinal fluid to search for indications of the disease. The evidence that was recorded by the researchers included discoveries that subjects with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease had poorer sleep efficiency, spent less time asleep and napped more often.
How to receive better quality of sleep
Of course it is unreasonable to expect that you can experience a peaceful night of slumber every single evening, but more often than not, quality of sleep can be improved by making a few lifestyle adjustments. One of the ways you can gain a few hours of sleep at night is through boosting your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep. Melatonin is created through light exposure, so receiving more sunshine during the day and avoiding light at night is a natural way to eliminate sleep disturbance. A few ways to upgrade your melatonin production at night include:
- Avoid watching television or staring at a computer screen in the dark
- Eliminating usage of backlit electronic devices before sleep
- Keeping your bedroom as dark as possible
- Using a flashlight instead of turning on the lights to go to the bathroom at night
All of these aspects are not only critical for increasing your sleep, but for improving your overall health as well.
