Common Sleeping Problems

The resources below - provided by the National Sleep Foundation - will also help you learn more about sleep.

Sleep IQ Test
Think you really know sleep? Use this popular American resource to find out just how much you know.
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Sleep Diary
Did you know a sleep diary is an effective way to track and monitor your child's sleep habits?
Download the sleep diary (PDF)>>

The Doze Family
Have you met the Dozes yet? They're ready to teach your family about sleep.
Meet the Dozes>>

printCommon Sleeping Problems

As people age, they tend to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep than when they were younger. It is a common misconception that sleep needs decline with age. In fact, research demonstrates that our sleep needs remain constant throughout adulthood. Changes in the patterns of our sleep - what specialists call "sleep architecture" - occur as we age, and this may contribute to sleep problems.

While the prevalence of sleep disorders tends to increase with age, much of the sleep disturbance among the elderly can be attributed to physical and psychiatric illnesses and the medications used to treat them.

How chronic medical problems affect sleep
As we age, there is an increased incidence of medical problems, which are often chronic. In general, people with poor health or chronic medical conditions have more sleep problems. For example:

• Hypertension is associated with both snoring and sleep apnea - both increase as we age.
• Heart failure affects approximately five million Americans, and as many as 40 percent of people with heart failure also have sleep apnea.
• Menopause, with its accompanying hot flashes, changes in breathing and decreasing hormonal levels, can lead to many restless nights.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes difficulty both falling and staying asleep. Of heartburn sufferers, about 80 percent experience nighttime heartburn, causing discomfort and awakenings. This is more likely to occur while in the supine (on your back) position.
• Sleep patterns among people with dementia are typically fragmented, and this fragmentation increases as dementia worsens. Sleep-disordered breathing also occurs more frequently in those with Alzheimer's disease. Those with Parkinson's disease are more likely to have RLS symptoms.
• The pain and discomfort of arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain, make it difficult to sleep through the night.
• Medications for chronic medical conditions and the interactions that can occur when someone takes multiple medications for several illnesses can adversely affect sleep.

How to establish healthy sleep
If you are getting healthy sleep on a regular basis, you should feel alert during waking hours. There are a number of behavioral modifications you can make to establish healthy sleep. They include:

• Using your bed and bedroom for sleep only.
• Therapy to help modify attitudes and beliefs that may contribute to poor sleep.
• Relaxation training, which often involves reducing tension and muscular relaxation techniques.
• Restricting time in bed if you spend too much of that time lying awake.

If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, consider whether an event or particular stress could be the cause. If so, the problem may resolve in time. If not, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. It is helpful to keep a weeklong or two-weeklong long record of your sleep, fatigue levels throughout the day and any other symptoms you might have to bring with you when you see your doctor.

This information is used with permission from the National Sleep Foundation.