 Health & Nutrition
Thoughts on
Aging
A Good Night’s Sleep - December 15, 2011
(2 minutes: 6 seconds)
 WMA (audio
only)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. LaVona Traywick
Assistant Professor - Gerontology
[Announcer] Welcome to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona Traywick,
Assistant Professor of Gerontology with the University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
[Dr. LaVona Traywick] Older adults need about the same amount of sleep
as young adults—7 to 9 hours each night. In general, senior adults tend to go to
sleep earlier and get up earlier than when they were younger. Older adults may
also nap more during the day, which can sometimes make it hard to fall asleep at
night.
There are two kinds of sleep—REM or rapid eye movement sleep and non-REM
sleep. We dream mostly during REM sleep and have the deepest sleep during
non-REM sleep. As people get older, they spend less time in deep sleep, which
may be why older people are often light sleepers.
Being older doesn’t mean you have to feel tired
all the time. There are many things you can do to help you get a good night’s
sleep. Here are a few ideas:
-
Follow a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep
and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Try to avoid napping
in the late afternoon or evening, as it may keep you awake at night.
-
Develop a bedtime routine. Take time to relax
before bedtime each night. Some people read a book, listen to soothing
music, or soak in a warm bath.
-
Keep your bedroom dark, not too hot or too
cold, and as quiet as possible.
-
And make an effort to get outside in the sunlight
each day. It will help you sleep better that night.
For more information on sleep, check out the U of A Research and Extension’s
website at
www.uaex.edu
[Announcer] Thank you for listening to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona
Traywick. To learn more about this and other topics, contact your local county
Cooperative
Extension Service office.
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