Age, ageing and changes in sleep

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Going to the toilet in the night >> Going to the toilet in the night

Going to the toilet in the night

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Going to the doctor or chemist >> Going to the doctor or chemist

Going to the doctor or chemist

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Going to the doctor or chemist >> Going to the doctor or chemist

Going to the doctor or chemist

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Making sense of poor sleep >> Making sense of poor sleep

Making sense of poor sleep

Otto has been widowed for four years and has 2 children and one grandchild. Otto is a retired design engineer and was in the RAF during the second world war. Otto likes to keep active by walking a lot and also has an exercise bicycle. His main problems with sleep are that he finds he has to get up in the night to go to the toilet, and then finds he can’t get back to sleep, usually because he finds thoughts and worries go round and round his head.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 65-74 >> Peter - Interview 19 >> Peter would only go to his doctor about problems sleeping if he wasn’t able to do all the things he needed to during the day.

Peter sometimes finds it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep because of a shoulder injury and lower back pain. He only very occasionally dozes off during the day, but sometimes might if he has been active, or has gone for a long run. Peter feels that there are times in his life when he has more to worry about, and this will most likely affect how he sleeps.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 65-74 >> Fred - Interview 20 >> Fred would have been more likely to go to the doctor if he had very bad sleep when he had to get up to go to work every day.

Fred often finds it difficult to get to sleep. He also finds that if he wakes up in the night he finds it takes a long time to get back to sleep. Sometimes he comes downstairs and has a cigarette in the back garden before trying to go back up and get to sleep. Fred noticed his sleep changed after he retired and feels this may be because he isn’t quite as active.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Women aged 65-74 >> Mary - Interview 02 >> Mary doesn’t see poor sleep as an illness so she would only see her doctor for problems sleeping during difficult times, such as bereavement.

Mary often finds it very difficult to get to sleep, sometimes taking up to an hour to fall asleep. Mary finds that relaxation and meditation exercises help her to fall asleep, and help her get back to sleep if she wakes up in the night. Even if she has not had a good night Mary finds it impossible to take a nap during the day, although she may put her feet up in bed to have a rest instead. Mary hasn’t been to the doctor about her sleep, but has tried some over the counter remedies.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Women aged 65-74 >> Valerie - Interview 11 >> Val avoids going to the doctor or taking medication for any reason, and would have to be very ill to do so.

Valerie often wakes up in the night and can’t get back to sleep. This means she will be very tired by the early evening, but will try not to go to bed too early because she doesn’t want to waste the evening.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 65-74 >> Mike - Interview 12 >> Mike did mention his poor sleep to his doctor whilst he was attending an appointment during a check up, but didn’t feel it important enough to pursue.

Mike works part-time as a test centre administrator. He has noticed a change in his sleep as he has got older, noticeably that he has periods of deeper sleep, but he doesn’t believe he sleeps any longer than he used to. Mike noticed his sleep changed when he first had children, and finds that pattern has continued.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 75+ >> Robert - Interview 06 >> Robert’s first place to go for help with sleep would be his doctor, not the chemist, because he feels they know more about him and his health.

At the time of his interview Robert had recently lost his wife and was still trying to cope with the aftermath of her illness and his subsequent bereavement. Robert has found that he wakes up quite a lot in the night and hopes that, with time, his sleep pattern will settle back into the routine he had before his wife was ill. Robert likes to keep very active and enjoys engineering problems and making things. He has recently started to cycle again.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 75+ >> Jim - Interview 26 >> Jim’s doctor has told him that the reason he now gets up a lot more in the night to go to the toilet is because he is getting older.

Jim has been retired for several years, but is still very active and likes to work in the garden. He does suffer from diabetes and this has affected his health and his sleep. He finds he has to be careful to carry sugar with him, and think about when he should be eating and drinking. Occasionally he has problems during the night caused by his diabetes.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 75+ >> Daniel - Interview 28 >> Daniel did go to the doctor about his snoring and he was diagnosed with sleep apnoea. He was given a CPAP machine, but didn’t get on with it.

Daniel is a retired social worker, having spent a large part of his working life with children and teenagers. He was diagnosed with sleep apnoea when his snoring at night was making him feel very drowsy during the day. His sleep is quite broken at night, and he often finds he dozes off during the day.

Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 75+ >> Daniel - Interview 28 >> Daniel would not go to the chemist for help with his sleeping as he is concerned that anything from over the counter might interact with his existing

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