Adequate restful sleep, like diet and exercise, is critical to good health. Insufficient restful sleep can result in mental and physical health problems and possibly premature death. People need less sleep as they get older. As we get older, we don't need less sleep, but we often get less sleep. That's because our ability to sleep for long periods of time and to get into the deep restful stages of sleep decreases with age.
Older people have more fragile sleep and are more easily disturbed by light, noise, and pain.
They also may have medical conditions that contribute to sleep problems. This could be a sign of a sleep disorder. Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. An untreated sleep disorder can reduce your daytime productivity, increase your risk of accidents, and put you at risk of illness and even early death. If you snore loudly and persistently at night and are sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder.