Less sleep is normal part of aging
By admin on 2014-12-26

Getting less sleep at night may be a normal part of healthy aging and nothing to worry about for most healthy adults.
 
A new study shows that during a standard night of eight hours in bed the amount of time spent actually sleeping decreases progressively with age. Healthy older adults sleep about 20 minutes less than middle-aged adults, who sleep 23 minutes less than young adults.
 
Researchers say the results suggest that healthy older adults without sleep disorders should expect to sleep a little less at night without being sleepy during the day.
 
"Our findings reaffirm the theory that it is not normal for older people to be sleepy during the daytime," researcher Derk-Jan Dijk, PhD, professor of sleep and physiology at the University of Surrey in England, says in a news release. "Whether you are young or old, if you are sleepy during the day you either don't get enough sleep or you may suffer from a sleep disorder."