How does sleep change with age and what affects it? Answers from an endocrinologist

Anastasia Kvasova

Therapist-endocrinologist at Nebolit Medical Center

“Sleep is not only a time of rest and recovery, but also a complex process that consists of several phases. We all know how important it is to get enough sleep and wake up refreshed, but we rarely think about what happens inside our body during a night’s rest.”

What is sleep scientifically?

One of the key aspects of sleep is the slow and REM phases, or REM sleep. The former involves several phases, starting with drowsiness and progressing to “light” sleep. During this time, our body calms down: heart rate and blood pressure decrease, brain activity slows down, and muscles relax. This time is necessary for the body to regenerate and repair itself so that we can wake up each morning feeling physically healthy and alert.

However, after waking up from a deep sleep phase, we may experience a state of drowsiness and difficulty concentrating during the first half of the day. This is because after the slow-wave sleep phase, we enter the REM phase, or REM sleep phase. During this time, we have our most vivid dreams and our eyes move quickly, as if we are watching what is happening on a movie screen.

The REM phase of sleep is also known as “paradoxical” sleep.

With a full night’s sleep, a person’s central nervous system (CNS) has the opportunity to fully recover. It is also during this time that the post-workout muscle synthesis and normalization of the immune system take place.

If you observe sleep hygiene, the body will have enough oxygen for a good sleep, thanks to which the muscles of the body are relaxed.

Quality sleep requires: airing the room before bedtime, micro-ventilation, clean bed linen, comfortable mattress and pillow, moisturized air.

Why is adequate sleep also important for the CNS?

  • First, there is the assimilation of information, removal of unnecessary neural connections, relaxation of the nervous system.
  • Secondly, with full-fledged sleep there is muscle relaxation and synthesis of new cells, which is especially important for sports activities. After all, only on the background of full recovery will occur the desired growth of muscles after the gym.
  • Thirdly, during a full night’s rest there is regulation of hormone synthesis, which strongly depend on circadian rhythms, i.e. on the change of sleep and vigor.

Plus a full night’s sleep has an impact on weight. If sleep is interrupted, short, there will be more appetite growth and more frequent cravings for high-carbohydrate foods.

The immune system is also activated and regulated, allowing for faster recovery during illness and prevention of new ailments.

How does sleep change as we age?

Sleep is an integral part of our lives, and its duration can vary significantly depending on age.

Children require much more sleep time than adults. Newborn babies sleep most of the day, waking only for feedings. By the age of one year, most children already sleep about 13 hours a night, including daytime naps.

It is important to note that a child’s sleep in the first years of life is characterized by a longer REM sleep phase (REM sleep phase, in which we dream), which plays an important role in the maturation and development of the brain. In addition, the better the quality of sleep, the more melatonin is produced in the brain.

Melatonin is a substance that is produced in the pineal gland, regulates the sleep-wake cycle and helps to organize the biological rhythm and normalize sleep.

With age, melatonin synthesis may be impaired. A large amount of stress, heavy physical exertion, lack of sleep, irregular work schedule with new duties, lack of walks in the daytime greatly accelerate the process of reducing the synthesis of sleep hormone. Often with age, people begin to wake up more often during the first phase of sleep and have difficulty falling asleep again.

The average sleep duration in adults is between seven and eight hours, but this decreases with age by about 10 minutes for each decade from age 40 to 70. After that, there is little change.

The proportion of rapid eye movement sleep (REM phase) also decreases, while the surface phase of sleep, on the other hand, increases. These changes affect sleep efficiency in old age, which continues to decline. The rhythm of nighttime rest is also subject to changes with age.

Many older adults begin to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier due to decreased sleep duration. For example, if they require six hours of rest, they may wake up at four in the morning. This may be due to a change in the internal biological clock or other factors.

What affects sleep

One factor that affects sleep quality in the elderly is a lack of daylight. Many seniors may spend little time outdoors due to limited mobility. Lack of natural light can alter sleep rhythms and impair sleep quality. Short rest periods during the day may increase, making it difficult to fall asleep at night.

Pain and chronic illnesses can also affect sleep quality in older adults. For example, osteoarthritis can cause chronic pain that prevents a person from sleeping well. Disruptions in nighttime rest and daytime sleepiness not only rob a person of energy, but can also negatively impact their overall health and well-being.

How do dreams change with age?

Dreams are directly related to the sleep process. We’ve already worked out that they occur in the REM phase. In childhood it is long, so there are more pictures, they are pleasant, long and calm. Also important are the emotions a person feels and the circumstances they are in.

For example, people who observe siesta and have a habit of daytime rest fall asleep better and have better, more colorful sleep. It is interesting to note that emotions play a key role in remembering dreams.

The stronger our emotional reaction to what happens in a dream, the more likely we are to remember it upon waking. Vivid emotions such as fear, joy, or love can leave a deep imprint on the memory and be retained even after waking up.

When we wake up during the REM phase of sleep, our dream emotions are especially vivid and memorable. We can easily recall the details and plots of our dreams. However, if the rest cycle ends and we wake up in a different phase, the emotions gradually fade and the visions are forgotten.

Sleep is an integral part of life. It is important to get enough sleep, to monitor your health. Then you will wake up awake awake.

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