According to BS.CKII Nguyen An Chau, General Director of Minh Anh International Hospital, the older the age, the more changes the body has affecting sleep. In which, the pine gland reduces the secretion of melatonin, a hormone involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle - causing the circadian rhythm to change. Elderly people are often sleepy earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning.
Along with that, sleep structure also changes. Sleep becomes shallower, deep sleep time is reduced, making the elderly easily wake up from noise or minor impacts from the environment and difficult to fall back asleep.
Many common diseases in the elderly can also disrupt sleep. Chronic pain due to osteoarthritis, back pain or gout can make it difficult for patients to sleep. Respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea syndrome can also cause waking up many times at night.
In addition, urinary tract problems such as prostate hyperplasia in men or hyperactive bladder can cause the elderly to wake up to urinate many times. Some cardiovascular and neurological diseases such as heart failure, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, along with anxiety and depression can also significantly affect sleep quality.
Prolonged insomnia not only makes the elderly tired but also affects overall health. Patients may reduce concentration, become irritable, have memory decline and increase the risk of anxiety and depression. During the day, drowsiness and lethargy can also increase the risk of falling.
To improve sleep, doctors recommend that the elderly maintain a relatively fixed bedtime and wake-up time each day. The bedroom needs to be dark, quiet, airy and limit TVs and phones in the bedroom.
Stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol should be restricted in the late afternoon. Alcohol can make a person quickly sleepy but disrupt sleep later. Elderly people should also not overeat for about 3 hours before bedtime and should limit drinking too much water in the evening to reduce nighttime urination.
If taking a nap, you should only doze off for about 20-30 minutes and avoid sleeping too late in the afternoon.
According to BS.CKII Nguyen An Chau, elderly people should see a doctor if insomnia lasts for more than a month, clearly affecting daytime activities or accompanied by abnormal symptoms such as heavy snoring, some sleep apnea, abnormal limbs movements or obvious anxiety and depression.
In particular, the elderly should not buy and use sedatives and sleeping pills themselves. Some medications can cause prolonged drowsiness, reduced alertness, increased risk of falls and other side effects in the elderly. The use of medication needs to be assessed and prescribed by a doctor according to the cause of insomnia.
According to doctors, instead of just trying to "force" themselves to sleep with drugs, the elderly need to find the cause of insomnia and adjust their living habits. When insomnia is prolonged or affects health, early examination helps identify the cause and choose appropriate treatment methods.
