•February 17, 2021•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator, U of I Extension
Extension Educator Diane Reinhold recently posted this article about sleep on her blog, and I felt like this would be great information to share. Diane says that adequate, quality sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. Sleep helps the body to heal and restore itself. It is vital for brain and heart health, mood and physical function, and a healthy immune system. However, as we age, many people report issues related to the amount of time they sleep and their overall sleep quality. Older adults tend to wake more frequently and spend less time in deep sleep. Although total sleep time is decreased only slightly, from 6.5 to 7 hours/night, the perception of sleep time and quality will differ compared to younger adults. Older adults may have difficulties falling and staying asleep, spend more time in light sleep, and frequently wake due to anxiety, pain, discomfort, or the need to use the restroom.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.