Sleep disturbances are very common in older people. Changes in sleep patterns may be a normal part of aging, but many other factors common in older people contribute to sleep problems. These include physical illness or symptoms, medication side effects, changes in activity or social life, and death of a spouse or loved one. Sleep disorders decrease quality of life in older people by causing daytime sleepiness, tiredness, and lack of energy. Poor quality of sleep also can lead to confusion, difficulty concentrating, and poor performance on tasks. The biggest sleep problem in older people is a feeling of not getting enough sleep (insomnia) or not being rested. Sleep changes with age. Older people are less efficient sleepers and have different patterns of sleep than younger people. (Sleep disorders and aging, n.d.)
Sleep problems that go on for a long time may increase the risk of anxiety or depression. (General Information about Sleep Disorders, n.d.). Depression disrupts sleep in all ages, and this condition is especially common in older people. Many people with depression have trouble falling asleep at night or wake in the night and are unable to go back to sleep. (Sleep disorders and aging, n.d.)
Sleep disturbances increase with aging and it is estimated that nearly 67% of the elderly people have at
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The aging process is associated with physiological changes which may affect sleep (Van Someren, 2000). Diminished subjective sleep quality is one of the most frequent health complaints in the elderly (Prinz, 1995) with more than 80 percent reported having experienced some sleep disturbance and 50 percent reported frequent occurrence of sleep disturbances (Foley et al., 1995). In the elderly, undiagnosed and untreated insomnia may cause impaired daily function and reduced quality of life and is a risk factor for accidents and falls. (Halpern,
Neubauer, D. (2009). Current and new thinking in the management of comorbid insomnia. The American Journal Of Managed Care, 15 SupplS24-S32.
Having no sleep can lead to unhealthy lives, relationships, one’s ability to function and interact with the world, and an unbalanced state of body, mind, and spirit. Sleep is crucial to an individual because it is a time where the body rests and restores energy and develops important information and without sleep, the body will slowly disintegrate. Poor sleep quality often is associated with Insomnia, but the two are two different items. Poor sleep quality is where an individual does not get at least 4 hours of sleep, but is still able to sleep and does not have a normal sleeping cycle. Insomnia is classified as a sleeping disorder, where one persistently lacks the ability to sleep or maintain sleep. This paper goes into a deep discussion of what Insomnia is and the two different types, the causes of Insomnia and how it affects a person’s lifestyle, a comparison between Men and Women who have Insomnia, and possible treatments to aid this disorder.
Chronic sleep loss is becoming more common in modern culture and less restricted to sleep-deprived diseases such as insomnia. Suggested to be the result of a number car, industrial, medical, and other occupational accidents, sleep deprivation is beginning to be recognized as a public concern. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control
Millions of people suffer from the same tossing and turning every which way, getting their sheets all disarranged and their insistent minds abundantly worse. Patients often proclaim indications of insomnia while sitting in the family health clinic. Insomnia traits include hindrance falling asleep, continueing to awaken, and rejuvenating before wanted. One may suffer from insomnia if one shows signs of an increased difficulty in attentiveness, decreased communal or scholastic skills, and a diminished mood or enthusiasm. (Foldvary-Schaefer 111). Countless individuals deal with insomnia for a large amount of their lives and some choose differing treatments, while some do not use any treatments at all. While never being uncommon, the amounts of causes leading to insomnia come in boundlessly; finding new studies and stories every day.
The National Sleep Foundation describes sadness as an emotion experienced by humans in difficult times. Findings show that constant emotions are found in depression. Furthermore depression is not something which simply will disappear. Additionally, symptoms may reoccur throughout a person’s lifetime. Overall sleep and depressive illness can be a complex relationship. In general depression can bring about long term problems in sleep disorders stemming from depression. Sleep problems and risk factors may share biological factor and risk factors. These factors lead to important concepts discussed in the article such as insomnia and sleep apnea treatments strategies. Research has found people who have depression are more likely to develop insomnia and suffer from insomniatic symptoms. Some these symptoms include sleep maintenance insomnia, daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep (onset insomnia), and refreshing sleep. Justly researchers suggest depression development is high among those who have both onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia. In 2006, the NSF polls focused on 11-17 ages in children. One of slee...
Insomnia can be linked to depression, heart failure, dramatic life events, and other medical issues. Curing these problems will help you get a better nights rest. It is really rare for someone to have insomnia and no other medical conditions. If this is the case, then curing or helping insomnia is far harder, although relaxation treatments may help.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly. Experts have estimated that 18 million Americans are affected by sleep apnea. There are three main types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form that occurs when throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain does not send proper signals to the muscles controlling breathing and Complex sleep apnea syndrome, a combination of both obstructive and central sleep. Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, breathing cessation, abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, dry mouth, morning headaches, insomnia, daytime sleepiness,
Mental health conditions can also cause chronic, long-term insomnia. Some examples of mental health conditions that can cause insomnia include general anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Almost everyone seem to suffer from not being able to get enough sleep at some time in their life. If you are always tired then that means that you’re not getting enough sleep. As we all know, inadequate sleep which is referred to as insomnia. Insomnia is basically one of the many sleeping disorders that some people may have and is one of the most common sleep disorder. There are many different effects of insomnia which includes some may become less productive, less ambitious, have a poor performance at school, work, or their everyday life tasks. Insomnia is not an illness but it is a symptom which can typically last no more than maybe a few days or it could be long term for some people. Who gets insomnia? According to Bayer (2001) “Approximately 36 out of every 100 Americans have reported experiencing this symptom [insomnia]. However, only 5 out of every 100 Americans consider the problem severe enough to seek medical help” (p. 22).
Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive and to function in day to day operations, but not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Some people can survive on very little sleep, i.e. five hours a night, and some people need a lot of sleep, to the extend that they are sleeping up to 10 to sometimes 15 hours a night (Nature, 2005). According to Wilson (2005) the general rule states that most people need from seven to eight hours of sleep. The deprivation of sleep in our society in continually increasing with the demands in society increasing work loads, the myth that a few hours of sleep is only necessary to function properly and that sleep is sometimes considered as killing time (Nature, 2005). Sometimes sleep deprivation is also caused by other situations like sleep disorders, i.e. sleep apnea, chronic insomnia or medical conditions such as stress (Wilson, 2005).
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the idea that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleep, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during sleep.
“Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep.” (2009, Dec. 18). The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Healthy
Sleep disorders are an underestimated public health concern considering that fifty to seventy million Americans are affected. Technological advances in the field of sleep have facilitated various theories to explain the need for and the purpose of sleep. Scientist have uncovered many types of sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. Sleep disorders affect men ,women, children, the elderly, and the obese in different ways. Factors such as the number of children and the effects of menopause have been studied to determine their effects on sleep. Various treatments have been utilized ranging from non-pharmacologic to pharmacologic methods. Scientist have pinpointed areas of the brain that are involved in sleep deprivation and hormones that ultimately affect sleep.
Lack of sleep affects us many different ways in our daily lives. Think of yourself as a battery, and you’re using all the energy. After you 're done using the energy, you have to charge it. Humans are just like batteries when it comes to sleep. We use all of our energy in the day time doing our daily activities. Like a battery, if you don’t rest or charge yourself up, you’re not going to function very well. It is necessary to have a satisfying amount of sleep. Lack of sleep will affect you in ways such as: mood swings, loss of focus, change in behavior, and difficulties in everyday tasks.
Wells, M., & Vaughn, B. V. (2012). Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation. Neurodiagnostic Journal,52(3), 233-249.