Do elderly people need less sleep?
14/01/2019
No. Older adults still need the same amount of sleep but they may be unable to generate sufficient sleep. Sleep is of poorer quality and there is less time asleep in bed due to waking caused by medications, illnesses and toilet visits.
By 70 years old you have lost 80-90% of your deep sleep compared with a teenager.
There is often a earlier desire for going to bed and waking up earlier because the natural rhythms and chemical changes that induce sleep shift to earlier in the day.
Early evening snoozes should be avoided because they will make it harder to fall asleep.