Most of us have found ourselves lying awake in bed watching the clock hoping to fall asleep, but for many, insomnia can be a regular problem, especially for older adults.  Almost half of adults age 16 or older suffer from some type of sleep issue.

Ask around, and most adults agree…  their sleep patterns have changed as they have gotten older.  Sleep expert Dr. Nancy Collop from Emory Sleep Center says some changes in your sleep are natural as you age.  She explains, “Aging clearly makes our sleep worse.  What happens, if you look across lifespan, as people age, they tend to spend more time in bed but less time sleeping in bed.  So there is more sleep disruption.”

The disruptions are usually related to a combination of things.  Dr. Collop tells us, “Certainly as people age, they get more medical disorders.  The medical disorders themselves can disrupt sleep, and medications that people get on can also have an impact on their sleep.”

Women undergo hormonal changes related to menopause that affect sleep.  Dr. Collop says, “We also know that as we age, our brain doesn't work as well, and, of course, the brain is the main organ that's involved in sleep and regulating sleep.”

Sleep studies also show aging can reduce the length of deep sleep.  According to Dr. Collop, “You have more of the lighter sleep, and you also have more awakenings during sleep.  So there probably are some aging phenomena in the brain that causes what we call the architecture of your sleep to change.”

Sleep medications will aid in getting and staying asleep, but Dr. Collop says many people just need sleep behavior training.  “We would like all technology out of the bedroom…  so no TV, no computer, no cell phone, no iPad, no iPod.  All of that should be out of the bedroom…  anything that is going to have a stimulation, both mentally and even from a light perspective because light is actually quite stimulating.”

Other tips from Dr. Collop:

• Prepare yourself for bed by setting a routine to relax before bedtime
• Write down a ‘things to be done’ list prior to bedtime so you're not worrying about it while you're trying to fall asleep
• Exercise makes for restful sleep, but not right before bedtime
• Also, no eating or drinking alcohol or caffeine before bed
• If you wake up, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like reading

Dr. Collop says don't get caught up in counting how many hours you sleep.  “What they should focus on is, no matter how much sleep they got, do they feel rested the next day?  Are they able to carry out their activities of daily living and not feel sleepy or tired?”

If long nights are making you exhausted during the day, talk to your doctor.  Predicting and understanding these sleep changes as we age can lead to more restful sleep and better health.

Exercise may help with sleep…  in fact, a new study says 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every week provided a 65% improvement in sleep quality.  People also said they felt less sleepy during the day as compared to those with less physical activity.  Lack of sleep can lead to more serious health problems…  so talk to your doctor.  You can also log onto the National Sleep Foundation's website at www.sleepfoundation.org.