The sleeplessness affecting about one-third of all older Americans is not a natural part of aging and can lead to serious health disorders

Judith Estrine

English

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GettingYourZzzzzzz’sHow sleep affectshealth and agingINTERNATIONALLONGEVITYCENTER-USAThe importance ofa good night’s sleepIdidn’t sleep a wink.” “I tossed and turned all night.”“I wake up in the  middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.” These are common complaints among older men and women. In fact,constant sleeplessness affects about one-third of all older Americans.A lack of sleep seriously diminishes our quality of life. Going without a good night’s sleep can result in sleepiness dur-ing the day, attention and memory problems,a depressed mood, and a greater risk of falling.A lack of sleep may also lead to serious health disorders. Yet sleep problems often go unrecognizedor are not treated appropriately.Getting Your Zzzzzzz’s: How sleep affects health and aging is a collaborative effort of the AARP and the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC-USA).It is based on the ILC workshop report Sleep, Health,and Longevity, which was made possible through thegenerous support of Canyon Ranch Health Resort,whose faculty and staff helped shape the frameworkand content of the conference, and provided theaccommodations and facilities.Generous support was also provided by MetLifeFoundation, the Institute for the Study on Aging,and the National Institute on Aging.Other AARP-ILC publications:Is there an “anti-aging”medicine?Unjust Desserts: Financial realities of older womenComing Soon:Longevity Genes For copies, call 212-606-3383 or e-mail carlislec@ilcusa.org.Spanish and English versions of AARP-ILC publications online at www.ilcusa.org.Copyright © 2003 International Longevity Center-USA, Ltd.All rights reserved.3Although sleep patterns change across the life span,we cannot afford to ignore the effects of poor sleep on quality of life. We need to understand the reasons for our sleep problems, as they maymake us vulnerable to other health problems.Snoring is no joke  Sleep disordered breathing (snoring) has always been a source of humor on TV sitcoms. It is also an irritant to long-suffering spouses. But snoring is also awarning sign—snoring may indicate a healthproblem. The Nurses’ Health Study found thatsnoring was associated with hypertension (highblood pressure) as well as weight-related healthproblems. Snoring can be a symptom of breathingproblems—known by doctors as sleep apnea.People who experience sleep apnea are not gettingenough oxygen during sleep, which causes them to wake up frequently and experience excessivedaytime sleepiness.Several studies have shown that people who suffer from sleep apnea have high rates of motorvehicle crashes.Sleeplessness and agingSleep disorders,like many problems of later years, often begin in mid-life.Poor sleep is not a natural part of aging, although physical changes and illnesses associated with aging can lead to sleep problems. Sleep problems may arise as a result of dramatic changes in a person’s life, such as the death of a spouse.Other possible culprits include decrease in phys-ical activity and limited exposure to sunlight.Sleeplessness sets up a vicious cycle. Older people have problems that disturb their sleep, which often affects their other body systems, especially hormone production and metabolism—causing more problems that disturb sleep even more!2A paradoxWhile sleep researchers agreethat total sleep loss is harmful to our health, they are not unanimous on whether smalldecreases in the amount of time we sleep have any effect on the brain and the body.  To add to the confusion, recent studies suggest that insomnia is associated with prolonged life. InsomniaInsomnia, or trouble sleeping, may be a short-term problem or a chronic one. A period of mourning or adjustment to medical problems may cause short-term insomnia.It is important to understand why a person is an insomniac before treatment can begin.There is a variety of reasons, including:Medical illness—Older people who are diagnosed with serious illnesses have more difficulty sleeping than healthy individuals.Psychiatric illness—Mental as well as physicalhealth affects sleep. The psychological diagnosismost commonly associated with insomniacomplaints is depression. Depression is morecommon among older men and women thanamong younger people. Older people withdepression have more disturbed sleep thanyounger adults.Lifestyle—The use of alcohol, caffeine,nicotine, over-the-counter remedies, and herbal medicines, as well as a poor sleep environment and excessive napping during the day, may all contribute to insomnia.Menopause and sleep—Thus far, research data have failed to make a connection between menopause and sleep disturbances.Tell the doctorNot everyone who snoresor has trouble sleeping has sleep apnea. But it’s important to let ourphysicians know aboutthese symptoms, so they can be included in themedical history.Risk factorsObesity, alcohol, smoking,nasal congestion, and estrogen depletion inmenopause increase the risk for sleeplessness.For overweight people,losing weight through ahealthy diet combined with an exercise pro-gram holds the greatestpromise for solvingweight-related sleep problems, particularlysleep apnea.4The mystery offemale longevityAs researchers investigate the connections betweensleep, hormones, metabolicfunction, obesity, cardiovas-cular disease, and aging, they should certainly takeinto account the effects of age, race, and gender.  Could it be that women sleep more soundly than men, and that is why they generally live longerthan men?57What are circadian rhythms?Circadian rhythms are the body’s internal clock.These rhythms, which influence virtually everyfunction of our body, are regulated by a kindof “pacemaker.” A primary role of the humancircadian pacemaker is to control the periods of sleepand wakefulness. With age, circadian rhythms can shiftand go out of sync with “clock time.” As a result, yourinternal clock may signal that it’s time to sleep althoughthe clock on your wall may indicate it’s still early.That is why older people often report that they canhardly stay awake until bedtime but are awake beforethe sun rises.What’s a sleep homeostatic process? Sleeping and waking up are controlled by a complex interaction of circadian rhythms and the “sleep homeostatic process.” The sensation of sleepiness, falling asleep, and depth of sleepare ways the body tries to compensate for sleep dep-rivation. Think of the sleep homeostatic process as your body’s effort to maintain the balance between being awake and asleep—helping you make up for the sleep you have lost by encouraging you to sleeplonger and more deeply. As we grow older, this process works less efficiently.6Sleep DeprivationInsufficient sleep can have a profound effect on our body’s ability to work properly.For example: Recent research points tosleep apnea as a risk factor for diabetes because it interferes with the body’s normal metabolism and hormone production.Studies on healthy adults show that sleep deprivation significantly affects the way the body processes naturally produced insulin.Sleep deprivation is asso-ciated with obesity and hypertension, two conditions related to metabolism.Sleep deprivation and apnea may also trigger changes in the nervous system, with an impact on our cardio-vascular system.9older women and men who exercise regularly report a good quality of sleep and general well-being.Four current studies of the effect of exercise on sleep quality of older men and women indicate thatsome kind of regular exercise, whether endurance,resistance, or stretching/flexibility, is likely to havesome beneficial impact on the quality of our sleep.However, more research is needed.Medication—About one-half of all patients whocomplain of insomnia are treated with medicationscalled hypnotics. Although these drugs may be useful in the management of short-term insomnia,they generally fail to provide long-term relief fromchronic sleep disturbances.Some experts believe that light therapy (photo-therapy) and a drug known as melatonin are likely to become effective treatments for some of the insomnias associated with aging. However,at present, melatonin and another alternative substance, valerian, have extremely limited data tosupport their effectiveness as sleep aids.Napping—More older people are insomniacs than daytime nappers, but sleepiness and nappingboth increase with age.Research has shown that daytime sleepiness doesnot always increase in healthy older adults, but thishas not been examined carefully in older peopleGetting a goodnight’s sleepRegular exercise has been shown to be anextremely important part of a healthy lifestyle.It increases our aerobic capacity and strength,helps keep us slim and trim, improves balance,and decreases the risk of falls. Exercise also keeps usfunctioning longer, energizes us, and gives us a greatersense of mental and physical well-being. But can exer-cise help us sleep better?  And through improved sleepcan exercise help us to be healthier, to live longer, andenhance the quality of our lives?  We do know thatShort naps of no more than 20–30 minutes may actually be good for you.812tips forsleeping well1 Keep a regular scheduleGo to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.2 ExerciseExercise is best in the late afternoon, but at least three hours before bedtime.3 Take a walkWalking increases exposure to light, and it’s good exercise.4 Take one short nap a dayLimit naps to one per day for no more than 20–30 minutes.5 Check the side effects of medicationsSome medications act as stimulants.6 Avoid alcoholAlcoholic beverages can disrupt sleep.7 Avoid nicotineNicotine is a stimulant and can cause nightmares.8 Avoid overeatingA heavy meal in the evening can make it difficult to sleep. 9 But don’t go to bed hungry Eat a light snack.10 Limit liquid intake in the eveningCut down on liquids to avoid waking up to use the bathroom.  11Relax before going to sleepCreate a relaxing routine and avoid activities that are anxiety provoking.12 Get up after 15 minutes of sleeplessnessLeave the bed and engage in a relaxing activity.with health problems. However, daytime sleepinessand napping seem to point to poor health. Better sleepduring the night would help to prevent sleepiness during the day.Awake-up callUp to now, the con-sensus has been that “sleep is for the brain”but has little effect on physical health. Now, emerging evidence indicates that sleep loss does indeed affect us physically as well.New studies are highlighting the significant impact of sleep on physical and mental well-being, especially for older men and women. Just as poor diet and lack of exercise can be detrimental to our health,lack of adequate sleep may be linked to poor health and susceptibility to disease,particularly in older men and women.10 11Creating a sleep-friendly environmentA room that is cool, quiet, and darkis conducive to sleep.  A cooler body temperature signals the body that it is time to sleep.           Avoid extremes of dryness and humidity.Avoid extremes of hot or cold.Make sure the mattress is comfortableand supportive. Diminish anxiety by keeping a “to-do” book for jotting down ideas.Use the bed only for sleep and sex, to strengthen the mind’s association between bed and sleep. 12References1Aber R and Webb WB. 1986. Effects of a limited nap on night sleep in older subjects. Psychol Aging 1: 300–02.2 Baldwin CM, Griffith KA, Nieto FJ, O’Connor GT,Walsleben JA, and Redline S. 2001. The association of sleep-disordered breathing and sleep symptomswith quality of life in the Sleep Heart Health Study.Sleep 24: 96–105.3 Cassel CK. 2002. Use it or lose it: activity may be the best treatment for aging. JAMA 288: 2333–35.4 Driver S and Taylor SR. 1996. Sleep disturbances and exercise. Sports Med 21: 1–6.5 Kripke DF. 2000. Chronic hypnotic use: deadly risks,doubtful benefit. Sleep Med Rev 4: 5–20.6 Miles LE and Dement WC. 1980. Sleep and aging.Sleep 3: 119–220.7 Monk TH, Buysse DJ, Carrier J, Billy BD, and Rose LR. 2001. Effects of afternoon “siesta” naps on sleep,alertness, performance, and circadian rhythms in the elderly. Sleep 24: 680–87.8 Reynolds CF, III, Jennings JR, Hoch CC, Monk TH,Berman SR, Hall FT, Matzzie JV, Buysse DJ, and KupferDJ. 1991a and b. Daytime sleepiness in the healthy “oldold”: a comparison with young adults. J Am GeriatrSoc 39: 957–62.9 Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, LaCroix AZ,Kooperberg C, Stefanick ML, Jackson RD, BeresfordSA, Howard BV, Johnson KC, Kotchen JM, and Ockene J.2002. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin inhealthy postmenopausal women: principal resultsfrom the Women’s Health Initiative randomized con-trolled trial. JAMA 288: 321–33.10 Shaver JL and Zenk SN. 2000. Sleep disturbance in menopause. J Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine 9(2): 109–18.11Vitiello MV, Prinz PN, and Swartz RS. 1994. The subjective sleep quality of healthy older men and women is enhanced by participation in two fitnesstraining programs: a nonspecific effect. Sleep Res23: 148.12 Zhdanova IV, Wurtman RJ, Regan MM, Taylor JA,Shi JP, and Leclair OU. 2001. Melatonin treatment for age-related insomnia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 4727–30.OrganizationsNational Sleep Foundation1522 K Street, NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20005-1253Tel: 202-347-3471Web site: www.sleepfoundation.orgE-mail: nsf@sleepfoundation.orgAmerican Sleep Apnea Association1424 K Street, NW, Suite 302Washington, DC 20005Tel: 202-293-3650Web site: www.sleepapnea.orgE-mail: asaa@sleepapnea.org Stanford University Center ofExcellence for the Diagnosis andTreatment of Sleep Disorderswww.med.stanford.edu/school/psychiatry/coe CreditsWriter:Judith EstrineEditor:Helene WolffCopy Editor:Lisa DeLisleDesigner:Herbert ReadeIllustrator:Larry RossINTERNATIONAL LONGEVITY CENTER-USA60 EAST 86TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10028TEL: 212 288 1468  FAX: 212 288 3132 www.ilcusa.orgThe International Longevity Center-USAis a not-for-profit, nonpartisan research, policy, and education organization whose mission is to help individuals and society address longevity and population aging in positive and productive ways.An affiliate of Mount Sinai School of MedicineAA03–2003601 E STREET, NWWASHINGTON, DC 20049TEL: 1-800-424-3410www.aarp.org/foundationThe AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all as we age.We lead positive social change and deliver value to those 50 and older through information, education, and service.

Getting Your Zzzzzzz's: How sleep affects health & aging

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Getting Your Zzzzzzz's: How sleep affects health & aging

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