Sleep After 50: What Changes, What Helps, and When to Ask

How much sleep, and what changes

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) says older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults: seven to nine hours each night.

NIA also says that as you age, you tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier, and sleep tends to be shorter and lighter, with more waking in the night. Many older adults do not sleep well, and illness, medicines, mood, and pain can all get in the way.

Habits that may help

NIA lists these habits to try. They are tips that may help, not a treatment for a sleep problem, and results vary from person to person.

• Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
• Have a bedtime routine that helps you relax, such as reading, soft music, or a warm bath.
• Keep your room comfortable, not too hot or too cold.
• Get regular exercise, but not within three hours of bedtime.
• Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening.
• Avoid caffeine late in the day, and avoid alcohol.
• Try not to use a television, computer, phone, or tablet in the bedroom.
• Avoid large meals within two to three hours of bedtime, and large amounts of liquid late in the day.

One step for tonight

Trying all of these at once is a lot. The step below is the same one Fit after 50 members can be given: pick one habit and try it tonight.

Keep a sleep diary

NIA suggests keeping a sleep diary for a couple of weeks if you have trouble sleeping. Note when you go to bed, when you wake in the night, and when you get up, and whether you had caffeine or alcohol or exercised that day. The patterns help a conversation with your doctor. Fit after 50's free Two-Week Sleep Diary does the averages for you and keeps everything in your browser.

When to talk with your doctor

NIA notes that sleep disorders become more common with age. It also says sleep medicines may help in the short term but carry risks and should not be used long term, and to talk with your doctor before starting any medicine or supplement for sleep.

• You are always sleepy, or you find it hard to get enough sleep at night.
• You have trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week. NIA says insomnia is the most common sleep problem in adults 60 and older, and calls it chronic if it lasts more than three months.
• You snore loudly, or someone notices you pause your breathing while asleep. NIA says snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, though not everyone who snores has it.
• You feel tingling or crawling in your legs at night that eases when you move.

A safe place to sleep

NIA suggests a lamp that is easy to reach, a nightlight in the hallway or bathroom, and removing area rugs and cords you could trip over if you wake in the night. The free Home Safety Checklist covers the rest of the path from bed to bathroom.

What this does not tell you

It cannot tell you whether you have a sleep disorder or what is causing a sleep problem. Fit after 50 has not found good evidence that a single bedtime cue improves sleep on its own, so we do not claim it. The habits above are tips to try, and a clinician can help with a persistent problem.