Healthy Aging: Why Sleep is Essential

It is a common misconception that as you get older, your sleep needs change. But the 
fact is, people tend to start experiencing more insomnia as they get older. It isn’t that 
you don’t need as much sleep, but that it is harder for you to get it.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, older adults find it harder to stay asleep 
and have very interrupted sleep, with waking up multiple times a night. This can affect 
everything from your emotional health to your energy levels and stress levels.  

Here are some things to focus on when you want to get better sleep.


Benefits of Getting Better Sleep

Why is sleep so important? It actually can affect nearly every facet of your life, even 
when you don’t realize it. Here are some reasons why it is essential that you focus on 
getting as much sleep as you can every night:

It improves memory and brain function. A common concern among people who are 
getting older is losing their memory or having lower brain function. If you want to 
improve your memories and hold onto to them, you need to get good sleep.

It can help you manage a healthy weight. While you don’t need to obsessively count 
calories or have a strict fitness regimen to be healthy, maintaining your weight is much 
easier to do when you are getting enough sleep. Insomnia can actually lead to a lower 
metabolism, which may cause you to gain weight more easily.

It reduces stress and anxiety. If you suffer from stress, that can also lead to a lot of 
issues in your life, affecting your physical and mental health, and worsening anxiety. 
You know what can make stress worse? Lack of proper sleep.

It gives you enough energy to get through the day. The more sleep you get, the 
more energy you will have during the day. This helps you to stay active and take care of 
yourself.


Tips for Improved Sleep as an Older Adult

Looking to improve your sleep? Here are some helpful tips that will encourage better 
sleep at night. 

Have a good nighttime routine. When working on your daily habits, add in some to 
your nighttime routine that will help you get better sleep. This might include not drinking 
caffeine in the afternoon, using relaxing essential oils in the evening during your bath, or 
simply preparing for bed an hour early where you start shutting off lights and 
electronics, meditate or practice mindfulness, or write in your journal before bed.

Get enough activity during the day. If you want to be tired enough for sleep, you need 
to get a good amount of activity during the day. Consider adding regular exercise to 
your normal routine, and see what a difference it makes in your sleep.

Improve your sleep environment. People often have the same mattress and bedding 
for a long time, without realizing it isn’t as comfortable as it could be. If you don’t 
remember when you bought your mattress, it has probably been long enough to need a 
new one.




