How long is the ideal amount of sleep for the elderly?

The older a person is, the less needed a night's sleep is. That means, the sleep time for the elderly is much shorter than that of infants or adults. Given that older people often wake up at night and wake up early, what is the ideal bedtime for seniors? If sleep deprivation continues, what effect will it have on the health of the elderly? Check out the following explanation.

How long is the ideal amount of sleep for the elderly?

The body's organs will experience a decrease in function with age. This affects hormone levels in the body, one of which is melatonin. This natural hormone plays a role in regulating a person's wake and sleep cycle.

If hormone production is disrupted, the sleep and wake cycle will change. This body process is experienced by the elderly so that they have shorter hours of sleep than adults and children.

Reporting from the Sindo News page, Joni Haryanto, a doctor at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Indonesia (FIK UI) said that the ideal sleep time for the elderly is 6 hours. The number of hours of sleep includes naps during the day and night.

Unfortunately, many elderly people do not get enough sleep for 6 hours per day. They generally find it difficult to start sleeping and wake up at night because they are constantly moving the body and defecating. All of these distractions make them wake up early and sleepy during the day. Although sleep needs can be met during the day, sleeping at night still has to be prioritized.

Sleep disturbance that often occurs in the elderly

Apart from hormonal changes, sleep disturbances can also damage the quality of sleep in the elderly. Nearly 50 percent of the elderly complain of this problem. A common sleep disorder experienced by the elderly is insomnia. This difficulty sleeping can occur due to the use of certain drugs, feeling stressed, anxious, or also depressed.

The elderly also tend to have other medical conditions such as sleep apnea, bladder disorders, and rheumatism. Sleep apnea makes them wake up in the middle of the night because their breathing suddenly stops for a moment. Meanwhile, bladder problems cause them to go back and forth to the bathroom and the rheumatism causes pain so that sleep is uncomfortable.

If their sleep cycle continues to deteriorate, the circadian rhythm will be disrupted. The circadian rhythm is the schedule of working hours of the human organs. This condition causes the elderly to be awake at night and extreme fatigue during the day.

Long-term impact of sleep disorders in the elderly

Poor sleep quality is thought to double the risk of death in the elderly. So, don't underestimate it if your grandfather, grandmother, or you experience complaints of difficulty sleeping accompanied by symptoms of fatigue during the day. Immediately check with the doctor so that the condition does not get worse.

Without proper treatment, sleep disturbances can cause the elderly's quality of life to decline. Various diseases are easier to attack. Starting from congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, and Parkinson's disease.

Symptoms of fatigue and sleepiness during the day can increase the risk of injury in the elderly. For example, losing balance when walking causes the elderly to fall. As a result, body parts will certainly be sprained or injured and the healing process takes longer.