6 reasons why the elderly have insomnia

insomnia in senior citizens As age approaches, human body goes through a lot of changes. The bones get brittle, the skin gets saggy and the memory diminishes. But one of the lesser known effects of ageing is the loss of sleep. Many senior folks notice that sleep doesn't come easy once they start pushing 60. Sleep deficit can have serious repercussions in the elderly as even they need the same amount of sleep as the others. There are multiple causes for insomnia in senior citizens according to Dr Satish Kumar V, Consultant Neurology, Fortis Malar, Chennai. Here are six of them.old man sleep Discrepancies in sleep patterns: As you age, you become more susceptible to being woken up by noises in the environment, disturbing your sleep. The body clock goes for a toss as you start feeling sleepy as the evening approaches and wake up before the crack of dawn. The quality of sleep in the elderly becomes greatly affected by the change in the sleeping patterns.chronic pain Chronic pain: Health problems start increasing as you age. Some ailments may cause physical discomfort that may interfere with your sleep. Arthritis, Degenerative disc disease and frozen shoulder are some of the painful diseases that rob sleep the elderly of their sleep.siesta Lack of physical activity: Ageing makes you less physically active; as you may not have the same energy levels you once had when you were younger. Napping during becomes a pastime, which leaves you sleepless at night.toilet Weaker bladder: Ageing makes the bladder and the prostate weaker, which means frequent trips to the bathroom at night. Constantly getting up at night to urinate can also disrupt sleep.medicines insomnia More prescription drugs: More ailments in the old age mean more prescription drugs. Many medicines cause insomnia in the elderly by impact the quality of their sleep.old man Restless legs: The elderly often face Restless Leg Syndrome where they find it difficult to keep their legs at rest even for a short while. There is a strong urge to move and shake the legs even while you lay down to rest, interfering with your need for a shuteye.