Why Do We Battle Insomnia As We Age?

I was getting phone calls from some of my older relatives and started to wonder why that was occurring.
I’ve grown somewhat concerned as I know that they are calling me instead of sleeping.
Almost everyone will experience problems going to sleep or staying asleep at some point in their lives. A short term episode is normally not harmful. However, others do experience chronic insomnia which can lead to serious health problems.
The elderly are more apt to suffer insomnia as their sleep patterns undergo changes through the aging process. In addition, deeper sleep is less prevalent in the elderly.

In addition, other age related disorders (cognitive or dementia) as well as additional pain can lead to the inability to sleep well.
Too many naps (as older people tend to have the time) can mess with the natural sleep cycle.

Another interesting fact or rather non fact is that elderly people do not believe they need as much sleep. Most adults regardless of age require 8 hours of sleep nightly. If you do not feel rested when you wake, chances are you are not sleeping enough.

Many patients neglect to inform their health care provider of insomnia, or doctors do not inquire. When the subject is discussed, the result is normally a prescription for some sort of sleeping aid.

But there is no drug approved for chronic insomnia. If the drugs intended for short term use are instead used long term, the very problems people are trying to avoid can show up (memory loss, drowsiness, dizziness.)
Suggestions to assist with better sleep include eathing a healthy diet. Also avoid caffeine close to bed time.

Avoid alcohol consumption as the REM cycle is disrupted.
Exercise, especially in the outdoors in direct sunlight can make a big difference in getting and staying asleep.
Naps can actually assist with insomnia, but limit them to about 20 minutes or so per day.
My Insomnia Program has also shown great results. It is all natural, so continue to check out my blog for updates of the release of this program.
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By: Christian Goodman..

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Christian Goodman is a well known health researcher and author of several revolutionary natural health alternatives. One of his recent breakthroughs is his natural method for how to cure insomnia. You can learn more about Christian on his Natural Health Blog.

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Melatonin is produced less as we age. That is the main reason insomnia is common in adults than in children. This steady reduction of melatonin can be supplemented by a person taking the insomnia hormone in pill form. 

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 10:14 am and is filed under Insomnia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.