Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Untreated pain and diseases like fibromyalgia. Anemia. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
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.
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.
However, most people start experiencing a decline in their energy levels by the time they reach their mid-thirties. And this decline in energy levels can be attributed to various factors, including changes in metabolism, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress.
Many seniors also experience fatigue as a side effect of certain medications or medical treatments. Or, certain lifestyle choices could be causing your aging loved one to experience fatigue. Interestingly, both a lack of physical activity and too much physical activity can lead to fatigue.
Some sleep experts suggest that seniors actually need less sleep than other age groups. Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep whereas many seniors can get away with 7.5 hours. Other experts believe that seniors need just as much sleep as the rest of the population.
Compared with younger adults, the elderly spend more time in bed but have deterioration in both the quality and quantity of sleep. All of these changes can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, which in turn can lead to intentional and unintentional napping.
It can be a normal response to physical activity, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep, but it can also signal a more serious mental or physical condition.
According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an “older adult” as someone who is at least 60 years old. Many states may also have different definitions of “elderly” when determining what resources are available in cases of elder abuse, although most states commonly use 65 years of age as the cut-off.
Around 20% of older people experience excessive daytime sleepiness, which may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Excessive daytime sleepiness in older adults may be a symptom of health issues like sleep apnea, cognitive impairment, or cardiovascular issues.
Boredom, depression, chronic pain and/or nutritional deficiencies can be some of the underlying causes that account for excessive daytime sleeping. Medications can also be a problem.
Sleeping also improves memory and slows down the process of aging. To stop the effects of aging, we need to sleep more. That's why it's recommended that seniors over the age of 65 get between seven and eight hours a night.
Older adults are more likely to take naps during the daytime due to age-related changes in circadian rhythms and sleep patterns. Cultural beliefs, chronic conditions, medications, and lifestyle changes can also contribute to daytime napping. Napping may impact health outcomes among older people.
Sleep and Aging
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.
What Is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to wake and sleep. People with narcolepsy have excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. They may also suddenly fall asleep at any time, during any type of activity.
Why am I waking up tired? You're most likely waking up tired because of sleep inertia, the natural grogginess you get when you transition from being asleep to awake. It can take 15 minutes to two hours for sleep inertia to dissipate. Coffee, exercise, and morning light exposure can help wake you up faster.
If you have been feeling constantly tired for more than 4 weeks, it's a good idea to see your GP so they can confirm or rule out a medical condition that could be causing your tiredness.
In most cases, there's a reason for the fatigue. It might be allergic rhinitis, anemia, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease (COPD), a bacterial or viral infection, or some other health condition.
Older people wake up an average of 3 or 4 times each night. They are also more aware of being awake. Older people wake up more often because they spend less time deep sleep. Other causes include needing to get up and urinate (nocturia), anxiety, and discomfort or pain from long-term (chronic) illnesses.
Experts recommended that adults 65 and older get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, quantity of sleep may not be as crucial as quality: getting a good night's sleep is imperative to healthy aging.
The most common causes of excessive sleepiness are sleep deprivation and disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia. Depression and other mental health conditions, certain medications, and medical conditions affecting the brain and body can cause daytime drowsiness as well.