Sleep is essential for our overall health and wellness, but our sleep needs and patterns change as we age. While children and teens have their own sleep needs, let’s talk about how sleep evolves in adulthood and what we can do to ensure we get the rest we need in our golden years.
Young Adults
As we enter young adulthood, our sleep needs start to settle. Most young adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but individual needs vary. This is when many people start careers, go to college, or start a family – all of which can impact sleep.
Young adults often struggle to balance social lives, work or study commitments, and sleep. Late nights and irregular sleep schedules are common but can lead to sleep debt and daytime fatigue. Developing good sleep habits during these tender years can set us up for healthy sleep in adulthood.
Middle-Aged Adults
As we get into middle age, our sleep needs remain the same, but the quality of our sleep starts to change. Many adults in this age group cite more trouble dozing off and staying asleep through the night.
Career and family stress can impact sleep during these years. Hormonal imbalances, especially in women going through menopause, can cause sleep disturbances like night sweats and insomnia.
Middle-aged adults may also start to experience a high risk of sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Check out our post on The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation. A healthy lifestyle, including regular physical exercise and proper stress management, becomes more important for good sleep during this stage of life.
Older Adults
As we get into our senior years, our sleep patterns change more noticeably. While the amount of sleep doesn’t decrease much, most older adults still need 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and how we sleep does change.
Older adults have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. They wake up earlier and have less deep sleep. Seniors can wake up more during the night and spend more hours in the lighter stages of sleep.
But poor sleep is not a part of aging. Many older adults sleep well at night and take short daytime naps.
Sleep Changes in Adulthood
No matter your age, some sleep changes happen as time goes on. We tend to spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep and less time in deep restorative sleep. We wake up more during the night. Many adults find themselves getting sleepy earlier in the evening and waking up very early in the morning.
The risk of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia increases with age. Chronic health conditions, which become more common in older adulthood, also impact sleep.
Tips for Improving Sleep as an Adult
Although our sleep needs change throughout our lifespan, some universal tips for improving sleep are inappropriately relevant to adults.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, including weekends, helps to regulate your body’s internal clock. Relaxing bedtime routines lets your body know it’s time to sleep.
Also, you can make your bedroom as dark, quiet, and cool as possible so you can sleep well. This also involves limiting exposure to screens for a considerable time before retiring to bed since the emitted blue light might interfere with the production of your body’s sleep hormones.
Regular exercises improve sleep, but one must avoid doing heavy exercises before sleeping time. It is also advisable not to consume caffeine, heavy meals, or alcohol before going to bed.
If you are awake in bed, do not struggle; instead, get up, do some light work, and go to bed when you are sleepy. This way, you will associate your bed with only sleep.
Knowing how sleep needs change with aging can help us focus our attention on and optimize our sleep across adulthood. Keep in mind: good sleep is not a luxury-it is a necessity for health, well-being, and quality of life at every stage. If you still have trouble sleeping, speak with an expert.
Rest My Best can handle a variety of poor sleep situations. Contact Amanda, CBTI-I therapist, and start sleeping better! Let us help you!