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Many elderly people have problems getting to sleep, staying asleep and getting up earlier. And as we know sleep is very important for health and your daily function. Most elderly people have a set routine they go to bed at a set time. As you get older its is well known that sleep quality declines most older people have certain time to go to bed and get up at a certain time, although some for a few years after retirement tend not to have a routine because they have spent most of their working lives living by the clock and find it a relief to get away from the routine. A lot of elderly people have some form of difficulty with their sleep, ranging from taking a long time to get to sleep, waking up a lot in the night, waking up early in the morning, and a combination of any or all of these. All adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. As we age, it gets more difficult to get a good night's sleep. That doesn't mean we don't still need seven to nine hours. One of the challenges to healthy aging is troubleshooting sleep to ensure that we are getting enough rest for good health.

Getting to sleep

The time it takes to get to sleep varies greatly from an hour to 2 hours and some as soon as their head hits the pillow. There are plenty of different ways to help you sleep some have a hot bath to help relax, some read, some use meditation but the things to avoid for most people are computers, gambling and socialising these tend to over excite the brain they find they lay there and their minds racing. Also avoiding drinking coffee, or alcohol before bed, or making sure they don't sleep during the daytime.

Waking in the night

A lot of elderly people woke up in the night, at least once, and for some people several times, either to go to the toilet (especially diabetics), because of pain, or some other reasons acid reflux is a very common complaint. Some elderly people just had the occasional night where they woke up a lot during the night. A frequent need to get up and go to the bathroom to urinate at night is called nocturia. It is a common cause of sleep loss, especially among older adults. In fact (65%) of adults between the ages of 55 and 84 have this disturbance at least a few nights per week. It is thought Once a night is acceptable to empty your bladder, but two or three times a night needs investigating you should make an appointment to see your GP and it would help to keep a diary of the amount of times and amounts of urine passed to bring with you to the doctor. Also, bring a record of your sleep habits as well as any daytime fatigue you may be experiencing.

Waking earlier

As we age, our daily routines change. These changes can affect our sleep. By increasing exercise and time spent outdoors and decreasing napping, you will improve both the length and quality of your sleep. Older people tend to get less exercise so get out and go for a walk or if walking is difficult join an elderly seated exercise class. If the sun is shining sit outside. Sunlight helps your body to produce melatonin, which regulates your sleep cycle. Try to get at least two hours of exposure to bright light each day. Daytime naps are fine but no more than 20 minutes a day as this is interfering with your sleep.