Totally Exhausted? It Might Be Your Psoriasis

From glamour.com

By Alice Oglethorpe

The link between the skin condition and poor sleep isn’t fully understood, but it’s real. Here’s what researchers think is going on and a game plan for feeling more rested. 

When you first think about it, your skin and sleep seem pretty disconnected. But if you have psoriasis, they are way more closely linked than you’d think. Research has found that about 17% of people with the skin condition experience severe fatigue. And a big reason for that is sleep issues.

“We can say for certain that patients with psoriasis have a higher risk of developing sleep problems,” says Lourdes Pérez-Chada, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. “And it can manifest in different ways. You could have sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome or just have disturbances in your sleep.”

You might assume that it’s just the itching that wakes people up, but that’s only, ahem, scratching the surface. Here’s a deeper look at what’s really going on.

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What we know and don’t know about the connection

People with psoriasis are four times more likely to have insomnia than those without the condition and have a 35% higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnoea compared to the general population. So why is that?

The answer isn’t exactly straightforward.

Symptoms of psoriasis can be to blame for some poor sleep, says Tina Bhutani, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, and member of the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board. “Pain, itching, and discomfort can make you wake up in the middle of the night and have more fragmented sleep. You may not even realize it’s happening, but you could be unconsciously scratching in your sleep and not getting into the deeper sleep cycles, so you wake up feeling tired.”

But here’s the interesting thing: Take away the itching and pain, and patients with psoriasis still have worse sleep. “Even someone totally asymptomatic,” says Dr. Bhutani. And this is where the link gets a lot murkier. Researchers aren’t exactly sure what’s going on inside the body that makes getting a good night’s sleep so tough. But most experts agree that inflammation is involved.

“Psoriasis is inflammatory…and that impacts your sleep cycles,” says Dr. Bhutani. That’s because excess inflammation can impact your central nervous system, which can disturb sleep.

There’s also a mental health component. “Patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of mood disorders, like depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Pérez-Chada. “And those mood disorders are also associated with sleep problems.”

But the path may go the other way as well. “We don’t know which is the chicken and which is the egg. Does psoriasis lead to sleep problems, or do sleep problems lead to psoriasis?” Dr. Pérez-Chada says. “That’s what the field is trying to figure out.”

A recent study from the UK looked at almost 400,000 people without psoriasis and tracked them over 15 years. During that time span, people with sleep disorders had a much higher risk of developing psoriasis. “That’s what makes it fascinating. Previous studies looked at the association, but this looked at what preceded the other. And it showed that having a sleep disorder predated psoriasis in a large number of people,” says Ravi Ramessur, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

But the exact reason sleep disorders can raise your risk for psoriasis isn’t known yet. “We really have very little understanding of the how, which is what we want to discover,” says Dr. Ramessur. One working theory right now involves proteins in the blood. “A study found that poorer sleep was associated with having a worse profile of proteins linked with the aging of different organs, including the skin,” says Dr. Ramessur. “And a lot of these proteins were inflammatory, so having poor sleep probably does have an effect on our systemic immunity, and one way that can manifest is with conditions like psoriasis.”

The road to being more rested

While researchers are still trying to figure out the why behind sleep issues in people with psoriasis, that doesn’t need to stop you from improving your sleep now. And this might involve seeing a few different specialists: your dermatologist, a rheumatologist, and a sleep expert.

Get your condition under control.

Though your sleep issues may not all stem from psoriasis symptoms, improving them can only help things. “Psoriasis is a chronic, ongoing condition, so if you get it under better control, at least it can be less itchy and bothersome,” says Dr. Bhutani. If your symptoms are still an issue, talk with your dermatologist about your treatment plan and whether you should try something else.

Make sure you don’t have psoriatic arthritis.

Around 30% of people with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis, a related condition that impacts your joints and, as a result, your sleep (joint pain and stiffness can make you wake up throughout the night). That’s where a visit with a rheumatologist would come in, as they can screen you for psoriatic arthritis and make sure that, if you have it, you’re on the right treatment.

Study your sleep.

To find out what’s really impacting your sleep, you may need to do a sleep study. “I tell my patients: If you wake up not feeling well-rested and are groggy all day, you want to get into a sleep lab because there are treatments that can help,” says Dr. Bhutani. They will be able to see if obstructive sleep apnoea or another condition is causing your exhaustion and tailor your treatment to your actual condition. “For instance, there’s cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia that’s been shown to be very effective,” says Dr. Pérez-Chada.

Try to improve your sleep habits.

While it’s easy to dismiss, having good sleep hygiene can have a big impact. “This won’t be the only answer if you have other disorders like chronic insomnia or obstructive sleep apnoea, but modifying your habits can help,” says Dr. Pérez-Chada. This includes having a regular sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, exercising regularly, and keeping your bedroom cool and dark. “Those are good tips for the general health of people with psoriasis, and they could potentially improve your psoriasis activity,” says Dr. Ramessur. “It’s a double win.”

Whatever you do, don’t think that you have to take poor sleep lying down. If you feel tired and have psoriasis, you have options—you just need to start by telling your doctor.

https://www.glamour.com/story/psoriasis-exhaustion

3 Reasons It’s Harder to Fall Asleep as You Get Older—and What to Do About It

From realsimple.com

By Ariel Klein

Experts share tips for falling asleep—and staying asleep through the night, plus why it’s so crucial to get enough sleep 

When I was a teenager, sleeping until the early afternoon was effortless—as a matter of fact, I think it was nearly impossible for me to get anything less than 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. But as I got older, I noticed my body would naturally wake itself up at 6:30 a.m., and getting back to sleep was completely hopeless.

Now that I’m in my 30s, my sleep patterns have changed so drastically that “sleeping in” means waking up by 8 a.m., and I’m lucky if I only have to use the bathroom once in the middle of the night. It’s also difficult for me to fall asleep without tossing and turning for at least an hour before finally dozing off. After discussing my own sleep situation with my close friends and family, I learned that these sleep issues are more common than I thought. So I went to two New York–based sleep experts and medical professionals to get a clearer insight about the importance of quality sleep, and how it—and the lack of it—impacts our overall health.

Why It’s So Hard to Fall Asleep—and Stay Asleep

As we get older, there are many reasons why we can’t fall asleep as easily as we used to. To get a better understanding of this familiar topic, we spoke with Janet Kennedy, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist at NYC Sleep Doctor who specializes in treating sleep disorders.

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Technology

“One of the biggest reasons people have difficulty falling asleep is because of technology,” Kennedy says. “We’re very much attached to our phones and other devices, which can be distracting when trying to go to bed each night. A great way to stay off of your device is by keeping it in a different room before getting into bed.”

While I’m certainly guilty of late-night scrolling and online shopping from time to time, I’ve noticed that even the blaring blue light from my TV has begun to impact the quality of my sleep.

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Stress

In addition to digital disruption, Kennedy points out another reason we can’t turn off our brains at night: stress. “With busy schedules, careers, caring for family, and so on, it’s overwhelming to process everything during the day,” she says. “So when our heads finally hit the pillow at night, we can’t help but think about all of the things we still need to do.”

According to The Philips 2019 global sleep survey, worry and stress were the number-one lifestyle factors cited for impacting participants’ ability to fall asleep and/or sleep well. Another survey conducted by Well+Good found the same thing: Participants named stress (over everything from money to work to family and relationship issues) as the leading cause for their sleeplessness.

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Overheating

Overheating, or night sweats, is another huge sleep inhibitor for many adults, especially women. A recent sleep habits survey by sleepwear and intimates brand Soma found, unsurprisingly, that about half of participants claim to have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, with 57 percent pointing fingers at a restless mind—or being unable to turn off their brains at night. But in addition to the familiar stress factor, an overwhelming 36 percent of respondents also said their sleep suffers due to being too hot or sweating in the night. Any number of common factors, including fluctuating hormones, blood sugar levels, and certain medications, can lead to night sweats. In fact, Soma’s survey revealed that being hot is a more common sleep issue than snoring (which only about 24 percent complained about).

How to Get More (and Better) Sleep

Credit: Getty Images

The first step to improving your quality of sleep is to make sure your bedroom is comfortable, calming, and serene. “Your bedroom should be a place you can retreat to at the end of an exhausting day,” Kennedy says. “If your room is cluttered or chaotic, it’s going to impact how you sleep.”

She also mentions that creating a bedtime routine can be extremely beneficial. “Try to create a 30-minute ritual before bed like reading a book, journaling, or meditation.” (We’re also fans of taking a warm bath or shower an hour before bed, or try a gentle, nightly stretching routine to wind down.)

If you’re often woken up from night sweats, it may be worth investing in some temperature-conscious bedding and cooling sleepwear, in addition to keeping your bedroom at a chill, National Sleep Foundation–recommended 67 degrees to promote Zzzs.

Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Essential to Your Overall Health

For children and adults, getting the right amount of good quality sleep is imperative for both mental and physical health: Your mental health, mood, immune system, memory, focus, productivity, energy, appetite, heart health, and even life longevity can all falter without adequate nightly rest. The general sleep recommendation for adults, according to The National Sleep Foundation, is between 7 and 9 hours per night, but it can differ from person to person.

“People with chronic sleep disorders are at higher risk of developing health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and depression,” says Edward Fisher, MD, PhD, MPH, a member of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU School of Medicine. “This means that some of the diseases that cause sleep disorders can become worse from poor quality or quantity of sleep in a vicious cycle.”

If you feel like you may have a sleep disorder like chronic insomnia or sleep apnoea, Dr. Fisher suggests discussing it with your doctor. “He or she may be able to begin treatment, or, if not, can recommend you to specialized sleep centres,” he says. “They have the advanced testing equipment and medical professionals needed to accurately diagnose and treat a variety of sleep disorders.”

https://www.realsimple.com/why-its-hard-for-adults-to-fall-asleep-12073737

Sleeping in on the weekend is actually good for you — but there’s a sweet spot

From nypost.com

Slept in on a Saturday? Good for you.

Nearly half of US adults aren’t getting the recommended amount of sleep each night, leading some to catch up on their rest over the weekend.

But if you feel guilty about waking up an hour or two later, don’t: New research indicates it can actually have some health benefits.

Snoozing past your alarm on your days off was long thought to be a major health no-no. For one thing, a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule is a key factor in good sleep hygiene, which can protect against things like insomnia and middle-of-the-night wake-ups.

One study from King’s College London also found a link between “social jet lag” — a disruption of the body’s internal clock caused by an irregular sleep schedule — and lower diet quality, which can impact the gut microbiome.

But new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s conference this weekend offered a counterpoint, finding a healthy upside for those who catch a few extra winks at the end of the work week.

An extra hour and 27 minutes of sleep on weekends could decrease the risk of high blood pressure by up to 9% in adults      Brian Jackson – stock.adobe.com

Analysing sleep data of 41,000 adults between 2016 and 2023, the scientists at Korea University said that those who slept in on the weekend were up to 9% less likely to have high blood pressure.

But that doesn’t mean you should stay in bed until the afternoon: The sweet spot, they found, was one hour and 27 minutes.

“Not getting enough sleep puts extra stress on the body. It keeps the heart and blood vessels working harder and can increase blood pressure,” study author Dr. Nawon Lee said.

“Getting some extra sleep on the weekend may give the body a chance to recover and reduce some of that stress.”

“People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer on the weekend. If they have not been able to get enough sleep during the week, some extra sleep on the weekend may simply be the body’s way of recovering from that sleep loss.”

Sleep is essential to heart health, with the American Heart Association adding it to their Life’s Essential 8 checklist for good cardiovascular health.

In addition to smoking, age, diet, exercise and more, sleep deprivation is also a risk factor for hypertension, or high blood pressure, which nearly half of Americans have.

Researchers believe that when we sleep, our blood pressure drops by about 10%, a process called “nocturnal dipping.”

But too much sleep can backfire. The study also revealed that too much additional weekend sleep could be harmful, with more than four extra hours increasing the risk of hypertension.

While those who are making up for sleep deprivation during the week may see benefits, excessive rest may increase “the degree of sleep irregularity and circadian disruption, which could offset that benefit,” according to Lee.

No need to feel guilty for sleeping in on weekends, as new research says the right amount may have health benefits.     Andrii Lysenko – stock.adobe.com

Previous research had found that regular bedtimes and wake-ups reduced the risk of a stroke, with irregular sleepers 26% more likely to suffer a stroke, heart failure or heart attack.

Those who are sleeping a little longer on their day off shouldn’t feel guilty, though, as they may still reap the benefits, according to researchers.

“If they have not been able to get enough sleep during the week, some extra sleep on the weekend may simply be the body’s way of recovering from that sleep loss,” Lee said.

https://nypost.com/2026/08/31/health/sleeping-in-on-weekends-is-good-for-you-heres-the-sweet-spot/ 

Can't sleep? Here's what causes insomnia and how to treat it

From eu.usatoday.com

By Daryl Austin

Few experiences are more frustrating than lying awake at night while desperately wanting to fall asleep. Your body feels exhausted, but your mind refuses to settle. As the minutes tick by, it's easy to become increasingly anxious about how little sleep you're getting − and how much harder tomorrow is going to be as a result. That growing anxiety can then make it even harder to fall asleep, creating a vicious cycle in which poor sleep fuels even more sleeplessness.

As discouraging as insomnia like this can be, it may be helpful to know you're far from alone. In fact, "insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, with roughly 10% to 15% of adults experiencing chronic insomnia and up to 40% to 50% experiencing occasional symptoms," says Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioural sleep scientist at the RAND Corporation.

Here's what insomnia is, what causes it and how it's typically treated.

Few experiences are more frustrating than lying awake at night while desperately wanting to fall asleep.  lakshmiprasad S, Getty Images

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder "that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night, wake up too early or get good quality sleep despite having the opportunity to do so," explains Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonary and sleep specialist at Huntington Memorial Hospital in California.

He explains that the defining feature isn't simply getting too little sleep − it's that those night-time difficulties lead to daytime consequences such as fatigue, trouble concentrating and reduced productivity and performance at school or work.

Over time, "chronic insomnia can also affect mood, memory, focus, energy, relationships and overall health," he adds. "People with chronic insomnia also have a twofold increased risk of depression and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," Troxel notes.

While "a random bad night of rest is normal for most people," Dasgupta explains, chronic insomnia is generally diagnosed when symptoms occur at least three nights a week for three months or longer. He adds that diagnosis is usually "based on your sleep history, symptoms, medical history and how the sleep problem affects you during the day."

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia rarely has a single cause. Instead, it usually develops from a combination of biological, psychological and lifestyle factors.

Stress is among the most common triggers, Troxel says, whether it's related to work, finances, relationships or major life changes. "Anxiety and depression are also closely linked to insomnia," she adds, with each capable of worsening the other.

Physical conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, acid reflux, neurological disorders, sleep apnoea and thyroid disease can also interfere with healthy sleep. "And perimenopause and menopause are significantly underrecognized triggers in women," Troxel says. She adds that medications such as certain antidepressants, stimulants, decongestants and corticosteroids can sometimes contribute as well.

Lifestyle habits also frequently play a role. For instance, Dasgupta says that consuming caffeine or alcohol too late in the day, keeping an irregular sleep schedule, working overnight shifts, taking frequent naps or spending time on phones and other bright screens before bed can all disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

How is insomnia treated?

Regardless of the cause, the most effective long-term treatment for chronic insomnia isn't medication − "it's cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I," Dasgupta says. CBT-I is a structured program that helps people identify and replace the thoughts and behaviours that interfere with sleep while building healthier sleep habits and routines. It's so effective, in fact, that major sleep organizations usually recommend CBT-I as the first-line treatment because research consistently shows it produces lasting improvements without the risks associated with long-term use of sleep medications.

Why 'good' sleep is about more than just the hours 

Other insomnia treatments and recommendations may include improving sleep habits such as maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake time, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake (especially later in the day), exercising regularly (though not immediately before bed), creating a cool, dark, quiet sleep environment and avoiding prolonged screen use before bedtime, Dasgupta notes.

Health care providers may also recommend sleep medications for short-term relief, but these are generally viewed as temporary tools rather than permanent solutions, explains Troxel.

Anyone whose sleep difficulties significantly affect daytime functioning, occur several nights a week for extended periods or are accompanied by unusual night-time behaviours should seek medical evaluation rather than trying to manage the problem alone, advises Troxel.

"And," she adds, "you should also talk to a doctor if you have loud snoring, gasping in the night, restless legs, morning headaches or unexplained mood changes."

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/08/30/what-is-insomnia/90911040007/ 

The Military Sleep Method Claims It Works In 2 Minutes, But There’s A Catch

From mensjournal.com

By Philip Uwaoma

The viral “military method” promises sleep in 2 minutes. But does science back it? We break down the technique, its limits, and what actually works

The so-called military method is a relaxation technique widely claimed to help people fall asleep in about two minutes. The popular version reportedly comes from Lloyd “Bud” Winter’s 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, which described techniques associated with military and athletic performance. The catch is important: there is no strong clinical evidence showing that this exact sequence reliably puts people to sleep in two minutes.

Still, that does not make the technique useless. It simply means the two-minute claim should be treated as a target, not a medical guarantee.

The method works by attacking one of the biggest enemies of sleep: physical and mental arousal. Instead of lying there thinking, Why am I still awake?, you deliberately work through your body and breathing.

                                     Can You Really Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes? The 'Military Method' Put to the Test.     tongpatong / Getty Images

How the Technique Actually Works

Get comfortable and progressively relax your body. Start with your face, consciously releasing tension from your forehead, eyelids, jaw and tongue. Drop your shoulders and let your arms become heavy.

Then move downward. Relax your chest, abdomen, thighs, calves and feet. The instruction is not to force your muscles into relaxation, but to stop actively holding tension.

Next comes breathing. Take slow, comfortable breaths and allow your body to settle. Finally, spend roughly 10 seconds visualizing something deliberately boring and peaceful, such as lying in a quiet field or floating somewhere calm.

The underlying logic has more scientific credibility than the two-minute headline. Relaxation techniques can reduce physiological arousal, while slow breathing can help shift attention away from racing thoughts. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, also uses relaxation and strategies designed to reduce the anxious mental struggle surrounding sleep.

Practice Beats the Stopwatch

Here is where the internet version gets a little too cinematic.

If someone has spent 45 minutes scrolling, checking messages, drinking caffeine late in the evening and then climbs into bed expecting a military breathing trick to override everything, the method is unlikely to perform miracles.

Sleep pressure, circadian timing, caffeine, stress, light exposure and the bedroom environment all influence how easily someone falls asleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends behavioural approaches such as CBT-I as first-line treatment for chronic insomnia rather than relying on relaxation tricks alone.

So, use the military method as a wind-down technique, not a guaranteed two-minute knockout. Practice it consistently when you’re already preparing for sleep, keep expectations modest, and avoid turning the stopwatch into another source of stress. If insomnia persists for weeks or is affecting daytime functioning, that is a much better reason to seek professional help than trying increasingly elaborate internet sleep hacks.

https://www.mensjournal.com/health/the-military-sleep-method-claims-it-works-in-2-minutes-but-theres-a-catch

6 Things People Over 50 Should Know About Optimising Sleep

From everydayhealth.com 

If getting a good night’s sleep seems harder than it used to be, you’re not imagining it. 

Adults over 50 frequently report getting less sleep — and often find themselves waking earlier, sleeping more lightly, or getting up several times throughout the night.

Although these changes become more prevalent with age, experts caution against accepting them as inevitable. Despite the common misconception that older adults require less sleep, most still need seven to nine hours nightly to support overall health and well-being.

“While older adults may find it harder to obtain adequate sleep, the biological need for sleep does not significantly decrease as you age,” says Saema Tahir, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and pulmonologist with a private practice in New York City. “Changes in sleep duration and quality are common with age, but should not be considered simply ‘normal’ or ignored — they carry real health consequences.” Poor sleep has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, and mental health conditions like depression.

Fortunately, understanding age-related biological changes — including shifts in metabolism, hormones, and the body’s internal clock — can help you take steps to improve your sleep and support healthy aging. 

                                                                           iStock

1. Metabolism Changes Can Interfere With Sleep — Support Both With Healthy Daily Habits

As you age, your metabolism naturally changes. Muscle mass tends to decline, fat distribution shifts, and age-related changes in fat tissue can contribute to insulin resistance, which makes it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar efficiently.

Your metabolism is also closely linked with sleep. Poor or insufficient sleep can disrupt blood sugar regulation, appetite hormones, and other metabolic processes — potentially contributing to insulin resistance and weight gain. In turn, metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes are commonly linked to sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnoea. Over time, this can create a cycle in which poor sleep contributes to poorer metabolic health, which may further interfere with healthy sleep.

Healthy daily habits can support both sleep and metabolic health. Regular physical activity, for example, supports healthy aging and may also help improve sleep quality and sleep efficiency in older adults.

“What I really emphasize is that no hack, pillow, or supplement will fix sleep,” Dr. Tahir says. “Eating your last meal at least three hours before bed, reducing refined carbohydrates and alcohol, and maintaining physical activity all have evidence supporting improved sleep quality through metabolic pathways.”

2. Melatonin Naturally Declines With Age, but You Can Still Strengthen Your Body’s Sleep Signals

Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your body’s internal clock by signalling when it’s time to feel sleepy. Its production is closely tied to light exposure, rising in response to darkness to promote sleepiness and falling with morning light to help you wake up.

Beginning around age 40, the body gradually produces less melatonin at night, and the timing of its release may also shift — making it harder to fall and stay asleep.

Rather than relying on melatonin supplements alone, which can interfere with medications and cause daytime drowsiness in older adults, experts recommend strengthening your body’s natural sleep signals through light exposure and daily routines.

“Get bright outdoor light during the day, especially in the morning, and keep your evenings dim and relaxing by reducing bright screens and overhead lights close to bedtime,” says Junxin Li, PhD, RN, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, who researches the impact of aging on sleep. “A regular sleep-wake schedule, consistent meal timing, and limiting alcohol near bedtime can also support the circadian system.”

3. Addressing Hormonal Changes Can Help Relieve Sleep Issues in Menopause and Beyond

Menopause affects more than reproductive health.

For many women, declining oestrogen, which helps regulate body temperature, and progesterone, which has sleep-promoting effects, can contribute to night sweats, night-time awakenings, and difficulty falling asleep. Mood changes and other menopause-related symptoms can further disrupt sleep. And these sleep issues may persist years after your final menstrual period.

“Often what happens is that hormonal changes and other symptoms, like hot flashes, first cause insomnia to develop during menopause,” says Philip Gehrman, PhD, a professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and a behavioural sleep medicine research expert who has researched sleep disorders in older adults. “But then the insomnia takes on a life of its own, persisting into the postmenopausal period.”

Dr. Gehrman suggests tailoring sleep strategies to symptoms. For night sweats, consider tactics like keeping your bedroom cool, choosing lightweight bedding and sleepwear, and discussing persistent symptoms with your healthcare provider. Treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) involve working short-term with a healthcare professional to work on your bedtime routine and other sleep-related behaviours and can help improve sleep over time.

Hormone therapy (HT) may also promote better sleep for some women during perimenopause or menopause by reducing sleep disruptors like hot flashes and night sweats.

4. If You’re Getting Less Deep Sleep Than You Used to, Focus on Sleep Quality

The structure of your sleep naturally changes with age. Beginning in midlife, adults gradually spend less time in deep, slow-wave sleep — the sleep stage most associated with physical recovery and feeling refreshed — and may wake more often throughout the night.

This shift is thought to stem, in part, from age-related changes in the brain’s sleep-regulating neurons, Tahir explains. Research suggests that aging can weaken the body’s internal clock and its ability to build up the pressure needed to sleep, which contributes to earlier and more fragmented sleep. As a result, even spending enough hours in bed can leave you feeling tired the next day.

Although researchers haven’t identified an evidence-backed way to restore the deep sleep lost with aging, healthy habits can help you get more restorative sleep. Exercise may promote deeper sleep, while limiting alcohol near bedtime and treating sleep disorders can prevent disruptions that fragment sleep.

Many older adults can train their brains for more effective sleep. Gehrman says CBT-I uses behavioural strategies to train the brain to associate the bed with sleep rather than wakefulness and establish a more consistent sleep-wake pattern.

“Cognitive behavioural strategies can help reduce time spent awake — including keeping a regular sleep and wake schedule, winding down before bed, and getting out of bed to do relaxing activities if you’re unable to sleep,” he adds. 

5. Cortisol Level Shifts Can Be Managed With Stress Relief Techniques

Cortisol, a main stress hormone, normally follows a daily cycle — dropping at night to promote sleep and rising in the morning to wake you up. For some, this rhythm may become altered during menopause, prompting higher evening cortisol levels that can contribute to difficulty falling asleep or night-time awakenings.

To support a healthy cortisol rhythm for sleep, Li underscores the importance of sticking to a set bedtime and prioritizing stress management in your daily routine.

“A calming wind-down routine before bed — such as slow breathing, meditation, gentle stretching, reading, or other relaxing activities — can help signal safety and reduce night-time alertness,” Li says. “It’s also helpful to avoid stressful work, intense conversations, news, TV shows, or problem-solving right before bed.”

6. Bladder Changes Can Be Mitigated by Tweaking Your Fluid Intake

Getting up to use the bathroom more than once, known as nocturia, is a common reason adults over 50 wake up during the night.

Age-related changes in the bladder and kidneys can increase night-time urine production, making bathroom trips more frequent.

Shifts in hormones that regulate fluid balance, along with medical conditions that are common with age, like an enlarged prostate and obstructive sleep apnoea, can also contribute to nocturia.

Waking once or twice a night to pee definitely interrupts sleep, but simple lifestyle tweaks and treating underlying medical conditions can provide relief.

“Nocturia is one of the most common causes of sleep fragmentation in this age group,” Tahir says. “Evidence-based strategies include restricting fluids after 6 p.m., reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, treating underlying contributors like prostate or bladder issues, and timing any diuretic medications to the morning rather than evening.”

The Takeaway

• Sleep tends to get lighter and more fragmented with age, but adults older than 50 still need seven to nine hours per night. 
• Several age-related biological changes — including shifts in metabolism, hormones, melatonin production, sleep architecture, and bladder function — make it harder for older people to get restorative sleep.
• Experts advise small daily habits like consistent bedtimes, exposure to daylight, physical activity, smart meal timing, and a comfortable sleep environment, and urge older people to address underlying health conditions with guidance from your healthcare provider to support healthy sleep and aging.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/tips-to-improve-sleep-over-fifty/