Seniors Are Sleeping Better Than Previously Thought

The common beliefs that seniors go to bed early and have a tough time sleeping through the night aren't true for most elderly people, according to a new study.  

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Sleep and Chronobiology Center (SCC) and University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) found that more than half of all retired people aged 65 and older reported sleeping at least 7.5 hours a night between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.

 “Our findings suggest that in matters regarding sleep and sleepiness, as in many other aspects of life, most seniors today are doing better than is generally thought,” said Timothy Monk, Ph.D., D.Sc., the study’s lead author.

The researchers’ findings led them to believe that sleep issues in seniors depend more on the overall health of the individual rather than that person’s age. They also noted that daytime sleepiness is more likely to be related to medications, illnesses and poor nocturnal sleep, not necessarily age.

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