Some Seniors Fall Asleep Slowly and Awaken Frequently Many
seniors have trouble falling asleep. A study of adults over 65
found that 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women take more
than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Older adults also wake up more
often at night than younger adults, primarily to use the
bathroom, owing to prostate enlargement in men and incontinence
issues in women. Unfortunately, getting up at night to use the
bathroom also increases the risk of falling, which is a leading
cause of injury and death among seniors. For seniors, loss of
sleep is also likely to cause attention and memory problems,
lead to depression, and result in a poorer quality of life.
Sleeplessness is Not Normal While sleep patterns do change as
people age, having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and
waking up tired every day are not typical side effects of aging.
Many healthy seniors report few or no sleep problems as they
age. The National Institutes of Health web site includes a Sleep
and Aging section that prov