The short answer is that everyone feels tired sometimes. In fact, nearly a third of people aged 51 and up experience fatigue, according to a study by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2010.
Fatigue in older adults sometimes occurs as a result of chronic pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, or other chronic conditions. Your body may tire itself out from trying to manage the pain or inflammation, and living with chronic pain can also lead to mental or emotional fatigue.
As you get older, you may find yourself not having as much energy as you used to. You might find that activities that you used to turn to for an energy boost are no longer possible or do not provide the same results as when you were younger.
Usually, our energy declines because of normal changes. Both genes and environment lead to alterations in cells that cause aging muscles to lose mass and strength and to become less flexible. As a result, strenuous activities become more tiring.
Call for an appointment with your doctor if your fatigue has persisted for two or more weeks despite making an effort to rest, reduce stress, choose a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids.
Medical causes – unrelenting exhaustion may be a sign of an underlying illness, such as a thyroid disorder, heart disease or diabetes. Lifestyle-related causes – alcohol or drugs or lack of regular exercise can lead to feelings of fatigue. Workplace-related causes – workplace stress can lead to feelings of fatigue.
Lack of physical or mental energy. Inability to stay awake or alert. Accidentally falling asleep, such as when driving or operating heavy machinery. Inability to maintain or complete an activity.
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Ongoing fatigue in seniors can be caused by chronic conditions, making it important to monitor and report any new symptoms of weakness and exhaustion to your care team. Some common underlying health conditions that can contribute to fatigue in older adults include: Diabetes. Heart disease.
Ageing, an inevitable process, is commonly measured by chronological age and, as a convention, a person aged 65 years or more is often referred to as 'elderly'.
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
While a 30- to 90-minute nap in older adults appears to have brain benefits, anything longer than an hour and a half may create problems with cognition, the ability to think and form memories, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
According to the United States Social Security Administration, anyone age 65 or older is elderly.
When you turn 65, you're eligible to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. If you're already on Social Security, you'll be automatically enrolled. Otherwise, you need to sign up manually with the Social Security Administration. You can first apply for Medicare during the three months before your 65th birthday.
Possible underlying reasons include depression and anxiety. Depression is linked to dysania, a nonmedical term for when a person feels the need to stay in bed without sleeping. A wide range of physical conditions can also lead to fatigue, making it hard to get up. They include ME/CFS and long COVID.
There are three types of fatigue: transient, cumulative, and circadian: Transient fatigue is acute fatigue brought on by extreme sleep restriction or extended hours awake within 1 or 2 days.
This sleep inertia, or transition from sleep to wake that comes with temporary grogginess, is part of the natural sleep-wake cycle. Sleep inertia typically lasts for 60-90 minutes. Natural light, exercise, coffee, and low sleep debt can help reduce its length and severity.
Hypersomnia means excessive sleepiness. There are many different causes, the most common in our society being inadequate sleep. This may be due to shiftwork, family demands (such as a new baby), study or social life. Other causes include sleep disorders, medication, and medical and psychiatric illnesses.
As women age beyond 50, they generally require fewer calories to maintain their weight. This is because as people grow older, they tend to lose muscle mass and be less active ( 2 ). In general, average healthy women over 60 should consume 1,600–2,200 calories to maintain their weight and stay healthy.