Women who have had children sleep less efficiently than women who have not had children. It is possible that many women never unlearn this sensitivity and continue to wake easily long after the children have grown. Complaints of insomnia are remarkably higher in people over the age of 65 than in those aged 18 to 34. In most older people, deep sleep diminishes and even disappears. A number of factors affect sleep in the elderly.
Older people are more sensitive to environmental disruptions, such as light, noise, or jet lag.
Diseases common in older people, such as arthritis, ulcers, urinary obstructions, and heart conditions, that cause pain or discomfort can interfere with sleep. Neurologic diseases in the elderly, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and others, and forms of dementia can cause nighttime disorientation, confused wandering, and delirium. Older people often take a number of prescription drugs whose side effects include insomnia. The elderly are also prone to grief, depression, and anxiety, the handmaidens of sleeplessness. One study found, in fact, that in healthy older adults, psychologic factors, such as anxiety and depression, were more likely to be the cause of insomnia than illness, medications, or living conditions.