People of all ages sleep, but when they start declining into old age and need more sleep, people often wonder why. Young adults tend to require about seven hours of sleep each night, while people in the middle-aged group typically need eight hours. On the other hand, infants only get about six hours. Older adults may require 12 to 14 hours per night for optimal performance, compared with eight for younger adults and seven for infants.

It is theorized that this increased amount of time spent in bed speeds up cellular repair throughout the body by a factor between four and fivefold over three decades. Beyond age 65, the amount of time spent sleeping increases by one hour every five years while obtaining a half-hour less sleep per night.

8 Reasons Why Old People Sleep So Much

1. Aging

One of the reasons people sleep so much as they age is their bodies, specifically their brains. Sleep is a deep state from which people have difficulty waking up. Older adults tend to have more trouble getting into and staying in this deep sleep. The result can be tossing and turning throughout the night, leading to many light sleepers. The deep sleep that old people get is a sleepy, almost unconscious state characterized by lowered brain activity. These individuals become very unresponsive to external stimuli, which can cause miscommunication and misunderstandings, leading to several problems.

In addition, older people are more likely to experience sleep apnea because their bodies produce less oxygen during sleep. This leads them to snore heavily, which can be particularly problematic for spouses.

2. Depression

It is a factor in a person’s need for more sleep. It can be a symptom of other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, or it can be an effect of the medication being taken. Depression is often characterized by a lack of energy and feelings of sadness or worthlessness, leading to changes in sleeping patterns that require more time in bed. It could also just be that they don’t have much else going on with their days.

Some medications prescribed to treat depression can cause a change in sleep patterns, but this is probably not the case with all drugs. An antidepressant prescribed for depression would most likely not cause insomnia unless there are no other underlying sleep problems.

3. Health Problem

From arthritis to depression, most health problems can lead to fatigue and excessive sleeping. So it’s no wonder that old people–who often have more of these conditions than anyone else–are so tired!

So if you find yourself asking, “why do older folks sleep so much?” it might be a health problem.

Their organs are slowing down, and they have less energy. As a result, their body needs more rest to work effectively. When people grow older, they also spend more time sleeping because they can’t do as many things as quickly as before. Sleep signifies the end of one’s day and enables the body to make quick repairs.

At Serenity Senior Care, we believe that people of all ages deserve to sleep and enjoy a rich, fulfilled life masterfully.

4. Lifestyle

Almost all older people sleep more than the average adult. This is because sleep helps maintain our physical and psychological health. Sleeping also improves memory and slows down the process of aging. To stop the effects of aging, we need to sleep more. That’s why it’s recommended that seniors over the age of 65 get between seven and eight hours a night.

Lifestyle is one of the main reasons old people sleep so much longer than younger adults, precisely because they stay up late and don’t go to bed early enough.

5. Surgery

In old age, there is a condition called sleep deprivation. This means that people can’t sleep enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle because they are experiencing insomnia. What’s the reason for it? Surgeries.

Research has shown that surgeries cause the immune system to stop working well, making them more susceptible to infections, meaning their bodies are less protected from germs and diseases and extremely weak during surgery. Thus, old age people spend more time sleeping because they would otherwise suffer from complications as they grow older.

6. Boredom

Studies have shown the less bored people are, the more sleep they get. This is because when someone is more engaged in life, they have a lot of things to do and occupy their thoughts. That’s not to say there aren’t a ton of things older people could be doing with their time, but without something to keep them busy or curious about life, it’s easy for them to get bored and exhausted as a result. While this isn’t a direct cause of sleep, it certainly doesn’t help.

7. Exhaustion

Our natural circadian rhythms change as we age, and we experience a natural slowdown in energy production. This means that sleep becomes more important as the body recovers and restores lost energy. For seniors, getting proper rest can help combat forgetfulness and confusion, which can often result from aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

8. The Side Effects of Medication

Patients can gain a variety of benefits from medicines. However, these medications also come with health risks and side effects that every individual should know before taking them. Loss of sleep is one of these side effects. Older people taking medication for insomnia complain of little to no sleep. This is because the medicines may have a sleep-inducing effect that blunts the body’s natural sleep drive. This may also cause an increase in daytime drowsiness that discourages an increase in daytime activity and movement. While this side effect can be troubling, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop all medications.

Final Thoughts

Not all the time can we spend time with our loved ones. You should hire experts who will take care of your seniors. There are many different professionals to choose from should you need help.

Serenity Senior Care is a company that provides help to seniors to stay in their own homes as long as possible.

When it comes to being there for your loved ones, we cannot be more straightforward than that. Serenity Senior Care has been helping seniors stay with their families. When you need someone to be by your side when you cannot be there yourself, we are here for you.

You can call us today to arrange a free consultation (973-338-0124).

Why Do Old People Sleep So Much? We Have 8 Reasons