Sleep is a physiological need of human beings, an important part of the body’s recovery, integration and consolidation of memory, and an indispensable component of health. Like air, sunlight and water, sleep is an indispensable “nutrition” for the human body. Currently, sleep disorders have become one of the major health problems. Long-term sleep disorders can lead to hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, especially for the elderly whose body functions are in a state of decline, sleep problems should not be ignored.
A common manifestation of sleep disorders in middle-aged and old people
1.Frequent drowsiness
Drowsiness is another common phenomenon of sleep disorder in middle-aged and old people. The causes are brain diseases (brain atrophy, cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, brain tumor, etc.), systemic lesions (lung infection, heart failure, hypothyroidism, etc.), drug factors (sleeping pills) and environmental factors, etc. Since middle-aged and elderly people are slow to respond to physical lesions or their symptoms are not obvious, sometimes they only show drowsiness, so the significance of understanding middle-aged and elderly people’s drowsiness is to clarify the causes of drowsiness in order to improve sleep and make it get early treatment.
2.Acute insomnia.
For the elderly people who usually live a regular life if they suddenly cannot sleep all night must be alert to cerebral blood supply disorder, because from clinical observation, a part of the posterior circulation blood supply disorder is manifested as acute sleep disorder, which is manifested as drowsiness or no sleep, mainly because the function of the brainstem superior reticular system is affected, which is a danger signal of stroke, and must be promptly consulted.
3.Sleep apnea
Most commonly seen in people over 50 years of age, breathing disorders may occur after sleep, such as sleep apnea, sleep-aggravated breathing disorders, nocturnal aspiration or nocturnal paroxysmal dyspnea. Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is the most common sleep breathing disorder in middle-aged and elderly people, accounting for 70% of sleep disorders, and the incidence increases with age. OSA is characterized by loud snoring, wheezing or nasal sounds after a respiratory interval of >10 s. The recurrent occurrence of OSA can cause a significant decrease in blood oxygen level and increase blood pressure, which may be characterized by snoring, irritability, daytime sleepiness, depression, headache, nocturia, impotence in mild cases, or nocturnal sleep arrhythmia, sudden death, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, convulsions and cognitive In severe cases, sleep arrhythmia, sudden death, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, convulsions and cognitive decline may occur.
4.Chronic insomnia
Most of the sleep problems in middle-aged and elderly people are chronic insomnia, which often manifests as difficulty in falling asleep and inability to maintain sleep. Early rising or owl-like nighttime activities are very common in middle-aged and elderly people due to reduced daytime activities or naps resulting in shorter nighttime sleep-wake cycles. The circadian rhythm disorder of sleep becomes more obvious with ageing or disease; it is manifested as circadian reversal, time difference sleep disorder and circadian rhythm disorder due to night work. Long-term insomnia will lead to mental depression, emotional instability, reduced quality of life and work, etc.
Second, the causes of middle-aged and elderly sleep disorders
1.Brain organic disease
With the growth of age, the degree of cerebral atherosclerosis in middle-aged and old people gradually increases, or accompanied by hypertension, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, dementia, tremor paralysis and other diseases, the emergence of these diseases can reduce the blood supply to the brain, causing brain metabolic disorders and insomnia symptoms.
2.Systemic diseases
Part of the middle-aged and elderly people suffer from cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, cardiac insufficiency, etc.; respiratory diseases such as emphysema, pulmonary heart disease, etc.; gout, renal insufficiency, diabetes, general pruritus, cervical spondylosis, etc. These diseases, which can affect sleep because of the discomfort caused by the disease itself, increase the incidence of insomnia in middle-aged and elderly people.
3.Mental illness
The proportion of middle-aged and elderly people with depressive states and depressive tendencies is significantly higher than that of young people. Depression mostly has insomnia, poor bowel movement, panic attacks, etc. Its sleep disorder is mainly manifested by early awakening and reduced deep sleep.
4.Change of external environment
For some reasons, environmental changes, reduced economic income, high work and mental stress, irregular work and rest, or growing physical weakness, all of which limit the scope of social activities of middle-aged and elderly people to varying degrees, resulting in emotional depression and anxiety, leading to insomnia. For the causes of insomnia in middle-aged and elderly people, in addition to observing the organic disease changes, we should also pay attention to their spiritual, psychological and personality changes.
Third, the middle-aged and old people sleep disorder precautions
Moderate sleep time for middle-aged and elderly people can promote health and prolong life, while too much or not enough sleep can damage health. Middle-aged and elderly people need to pay attention to the following points when they sleep.
1, dinner should not be too full, in order to avoid overfull feeling of stimulation of the brain, resulting in difficulty in falling asleep. Before going to bed should not drink tea and coffee, should not smoke and drink alcohol. It is not advisable to read books, newspapers, watching television for too long, especially not to look at the plot tension, so that people excited content. Before going to bed should not think about the problem, and develop the habit of washing feet in hot water before bed.
2, develop the good habit of going to bed early and getting up early to rest on time, without disturbing the biological clock of sleep.
3, the combination of work and rest: appropriate physical activity during the day, often have a role in promoting sleep.
4, sleep environment is quiet, room temperature is appropriate, air circulation, avoid strong light exposure, do not sleep in the wind. The bedroom should ensure that the air is fresh, but should not open the windows wide to prevent catching cold. Pajamas should try to choose soft and loose, do not feel the urgency of the good. In winter, it is appropriate to choose cotton pajamas, and in summer, it is appropriate to choose silk pajamas. Fatigue napping is best to go to bed and lie down.
5, sleep to emotional peace. Sleep should concentrate on quiet thinking about sleep, let the body and mind first, so that the “heart” first sleep, and then go to bed and close your eyes to sleep.
6.Sleep in the correct position. Sleep posture is correct, directly affect the effect of sleep. One third of a person’s life is spent in sleep, so the sleeping posture is not only affects the physical shape, but also related to the health and longevity of people.
7, acute sleep disorders must see a doctor.