How Much Sleep Do Baby Boomers Need? You'll Sleep Like an Actual Baby with These Tips
Tossing and turning at night? Do you wake up feeling like you were hit by a truck? Is one cup of coffee just not helping anymore? Let’s face it, a good night’s sleep is not always easy to come by. Even if you do find a nice position cuddled up with your partner, they could suddenly move in the middle of the night and you either end up on the floor or with an elbow in the eye. (Ouch!)
Being able to sleep is important not only so we look good and feel great; it’s also important for our physical and mental health. Without enough sleep, we simply can’t perform as well as we could. This is why sleep hygiene is so important for everyone including Baby Boomers.
"Sleep protects your brain by clearing out neural waste products that build up daily and, the research suggests, preserves the mitochondria as well. Think of sleep as your brain’s time to ‘take out the garbage,’ so don’t cut corners on this mitochondria-protecting activity." Frank Lipman MD
What Factors Are Keeping Me From Getting a Good Night Sleep?
What keeps Baby Boomers up at night? A lot. Stress, COVID, money, politics, family issues, weight and health issues, your favorite team possibly not making the playoffs – there are so many reasons we are anxious. Anxiety can keep us awake at night or be one reason we aren’t sleeping as well as we should be.
Our state of mind is one factor in getting a good night's sleep, but there are many others. The firmness of your mattress, the tightness of your pajamas, the warmth of your bedroom, the snoring of your partner, the loudness of whatever is happening on the street or in your neighbor’s apartment, your cat, your grandchildren walking about the place -- all these external factors can contribute to keeping us fitful at night.
Many people take sleeping aids to help them sleep. Perhaps you cannot do that or would prefer not to. Are you asking, “How can I sleep better at night naturally?” Well, what we eat and drink can actually affect how well we sleep. Are you consuming any of these during the late afternoon or evening?
These foods and drinks can keep us awake:
- Caffeinated foods and drinks
- Spicy foods
- High glycemic index foods and added sugar
- Fatty foods
- Fast food and other ultra-processed foods
- Alcoholic drinks.
Even our medications might keep us awake -- and if not them, perhaps it's the aches and pains we experience after an extra-long walk, or even from not getting enough exercise.
“There are many possible reasons sleep changes as we get older, reports the National Institutes of Health. Aging, for example, may alter the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle. In addition, as we age we often become more sensitive to our environment, including noise, light and temperature, which can keep us from falling asleep or awaken us once we are sleeping.” Sleep Number
How Much Sleep Do Baby Boomers Need?
How much deep sleep is normal per night? A normal amount of sleep differs from person to person. Some people just don’t function without eight hours. Other people are used to getting very little sleep. Were you a baker? A farmer or a fisher? Did you work in emergency or health services? Were you in the armed forces? Some jobs built into us short sleep cycles. That isn’t easy to shrug off at retirement.
We didn’t always sleep and expected eight hours a night. If you find yourself in the habit of sleeping in fits during the day and night, perhaps you are in tune with our ancestors. Our modern culture helped define the present structure of eight hours of work and eight hours of sleep. In the Middle Ages, we actually slept twice a day – an early and late sleep. For millennia, people slept in two shifts – once in the evening, and once in the morning.
“As deep sleep plays a role in memory, the body may have difficulty making new memories or retaining information if it does not get enough sleep. Long-term issues with deep sleep may have an association with other conditions, such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease.” Medical News Today
There are Four Phases of Sleep: Dozing, Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM
If you can make it to stage three, you are likely to wake up feeling refreshed. REM sleep is only a small part of the sleep, making up about 20% of your overall time asleep. REM makes up about 50% of the time babies sleep. This deep sleep is what we refer to as “sleeping like a baby.” It isn’t something very usual in adults -- sorry!
Falling sleep stage
As the name suggests, it is the first few minutes during and after falling asleep. The falling asleep phase is mainly characterized by our falling into sedation and relaxation. Even small disturbances can wake us up – and we are immediately wide awake again. (The struggle is real.)
Light sleep phase
The light sleep phase accounts for about half of sleep. Sometimes sleep stages 1 and 2 are combined into the light sleep phase. In this phase, brain activity is mainly limited to low frequencies. Consciousness is switched off, we sleep with relaxed muscles and almost no eye movements.
Deep sleep phase
In the deep sleep phase, we recover particularly well. As the name suggests, we sleep deeply and soundly. In the deep sleep phase, many people are very difficult to wake up. If this happens, we are slow to find our way back to consciousness.
REM phase
The REM phase owes its name to the rapid eye movements that are characteristic of this stage of sleep. It is mainly during the REM phase that we dream.
“How much deep sleep is enough for seniors? Deep sleep should account for at least twenty percent of your overall sleep. Seniors require about 2 hours of deep sleep each night in order to feel rejuvenated and fully function the next day.” Smart Sleeping Tips
What Helps Seniors Sleep Better? Here Are Our Top Tips!
Top Tip: The right routine is the be-all and end-all for good sleep.
- The first thing that is important for good sleep is to have a regular daily routine. Doctors call this routine sleep hygiene. This ensures that the body can adjust well to going to bed in the evening. This starts in the morning. It is advisable to always get up at the same time. If you wake up earlier, you should not force yourself to continue sleeping. Your body is its own alarm clock.
- The right environment is important for a good night's sleep. You might prefer to sleep on the couch, on the floor, or in the bedroom. What’s important is that you feel comfortable. You can only sleep well if you feel comfortable. Many older people prefer slightly higher beds, as this makes it easier to get up.
- Having the right mattress, especially for seniors, is important. It should be softer because the skin becomes more sensitive with age and more susceptible to pressure points.
- Pay attention to the temperature. The temperature in the bedroom should not drop below 60 degrees. If that is still too warm for you, you should consider a lighter duvet.
There are many sleep hygiene tips that you can follow, especially at an advanced age, in order to sleep better:
- Regular bedtimes are definitely part of it.
- Remain active. Give your body a reason to rest at the end of the day.
- You should also drink less in the evening to relieve the pressure on your bladder.
- It is advisable to drink little or no alcohol in the evening.
- It also helps if you do not eat raw vegetables in the evening.
- Take time to calm down after your day.
- For some people, taking a warm bath before bedtime helps them sleep better.
If you still wake up two or four times a night, don't worry, it's perfectly normal. We’re not babies anymore!
“The older you get, the more likely you are to have some major transitions in your life. Things like illness, financial problems, or the death of a loved one cause stress, and that can make it hard to sleep. You might have a lot more downtime and be less active during the day. That can throw off your sleep-wake schedule. So try to keep your body and mind moving -- the point is, stay active.” WebMD
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