Sleep Tips for Older Adults: How to Rest Better After 60

Good sleep is still within reach after 60, even if your nights look different than they used to. Most older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults, but sleep tends to come earlier, feel lighter and be interrupted more often. The good news is that steady habits, a comfortable bedroom and attention to treatable sleep disorders can make a real difference.

This guide explains what normally changes with age, what does not, and which simple steps are backed by federal health agencies.

How Sleep Changes as You Age

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) guide to a good night's sleep, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults: seven to nine hours each night. What changes is the pattern. Many people go to bed earlier and wake earlier, spend less time in deep sleep and wake more often during the night.

The MedlinePlus overview of aging changes in sleep notes that older people wake up an average of 3 or 4 times each night and are more aware of those wakings. Needing to use the bathroom, aches and pains from long-term conditions, anxiety and some medicines all play a part.

Because sleep becomes lighter, you can feel short on rest even when your total hours have not changed much. That is common. What is not normal is feeling exhausted most days, falling asleep when you do not mean to, or lying awake night after night. Those are worth discussing with your doctor.

Why sleep matters so much

Sleep helps your brain store memories, solve problems and pay attention, and it supports your heart, mood and immune system. The NIA explains that over time, too little sleep can raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Poor sleep can also affect memory, add stress to relationships and increase the risk of falls and accidents.

Habits That Help You Sleep Better

The NIA and MedlinePlus recommend many of the same everyday habits. You do not need to adopt them all at once; pick two or three and give them a couple of weeks.

Keep a regular schedule

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and while traveling. A steady rhythm helps your body clock know when it is time to feel sleepy.

Build a wind-down routine

Give yourself 30 minutes or so to relax before bed. Reading, gentle music, a warm bath or a few slow stretches can signal that the day is ending. Avoid upsetting television, news or games right before bed.

Make the bedroom a sleep space

• Keep the room dark and quiet, and set the temperature so it is neither too hot nor too cold.
• Keep the television, computer, phone and tablet out of the bedroom if you can.
• Use the bed for sleep rather than for watching TV or working.
• Add a nightlight in the hallway and bathroom so nighttime trips are safe.

Watch what and when you eat and drink

• Avoid caffeine late in the day. Coffee, tea, cola and chocolate all contain it.
• Avoid alcohol in the evening. It may make you drowsy at first, but it tends to wake you later in the night.
• Finish large meals two to three hours before bed, and cut back on fluids in the evening to reduce bathroom trips.
• A light snack is fine if hunger keeps you awake.

Stay active, but not too late

Regular physical activity helps many people sleep more soundly. The NIA suggests exercising regularly but not within three hours of bedtime. Morning or early afternoon walks, ideally outdoors in daylight, are a good choice.

Be smart about naps

A short early-afternoon rest is fine for many people, but avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening, when it can make falling asleep at night harder.

If you cannot fall asleep

MedlinePlus suggests that if you cannot fall asleep after about 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet, such as reading or listening to soft music, in dim light. Return to bed when you feel sleepy. This keeps your bed linked with sleep rather than frustration.

Insomnia: When Trouble Sleeping Becomes a Pattern

Insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. The NIA describes it as the most common sleep problem in adults age 60 and older. Short-term insomnia often follows stress or a change in routine. Long-term, or chronic, insomnia lasts more than three months.

Healthy habits help, and the NIA notes that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, a structured type of counseling, can help too. It teaches practical ways to change thoughts and routines that keep you awake.

Before you see your doctor, try keeping a sleep diary for a couple of weeks. Write down when you went to bed, when you woke during the night, when you got up, and whether you had caffeine, alcohol, naps or exercise that day. Patterns often jump out.

A word about sleep medicines

Sleeping pills can seem like an easy fix, but they carry extra risks for older adults. Both the NIA and MedlinePlus caution that sleep medicines should be used only short term and only as your provider recommends. Some can build up in the body and cause confusion or falls, and some over-the-counter sleep aids are not recommended for older people. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any sleep medicine or supplement, and never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Sleep Apnea and Other Sleep Disorders

Some sleep problems are medical conditions that need diagnosis and treatment.

Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during sleep. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's list of sleep apnea symptoms includes loud, frequent snoring, gasping for air, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, dry mouth and waking often to urinate. You may not notice the nighttime signs yourself until a partner mentions them. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, so ask your doctor about a sleep study if these sound familiar. Treatments include a CPAP machine, which gently keeps the airway open, dental devices and changes in sleep position.

Restless legs syndrome brings uncomfortable tingling or crawling feelings in the legs that are worse at night and ease with movement. Periodic limb movement disorder causes repeated leg jerks during sleep. Both are treatable, so mention them to your doctor.

Sleep problems can also be a sign of depression or anxiety. If you have been feeling down, lonely or worried, sleep is a good reason to bring it up. Our guide to easing loneliness in later life has ideas for reconnecting, and you can call or text 988 any time you need to talk with someone right away.

Your Better-Sleep Checklist

1. Choose a wake-up time you can keep every day, and stick with it for two weeks.
2. Create a short, relaxing bedtime routine and move screens out of the bedroom.
3. Stop caffeine by early afternoon, skip evening alcohol and finish big meals early.
4. Get outside and move during the day, finishing exercise at least three hours before bed.
5. Keep a sleep diary if problems continue, and bring it to your next appointment.
6. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether any of your medicines could be affecting your sleep.
7. Seek an evaluation for loud snoring, gasping or constant daytime sleepiness.