• Topic
• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Health, illness and pain >> Health, illness and pain

Health, illness and pain

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Retirement and current employment >> Retirement and current employment

Retirement and current employment

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Daytime sleep >> Daytime sleep

Daytime sleep

• Clip
• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 65-74 >> John - Interview 15 >> John would rather not sleep during the evening as it might interfere with his sleep at night.

John feels that a good night’s sleep for him would be about 7 hours, and the amount of sleep he gets is important to him, even if it is interrupted. Currently John feels he only gets about 5 ½ to 6 hours sleep and would like to get more, but would not seek help from his doctor until he felt lack of sleep impacted on whether he could drive safely. John tries to avoid sleeping during the day because he feels it will impact on how well he sleeps at night.

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Women aged 65-74 >> Anne - Interview 33 >> Anne strongly believes in a link between eating well, getting enough exercise and sleeping well, but is disappointed with her sleep at the moment.

Anne is married and has three children, and six grandchildren. Anne retired from teaching some years ago and now works hard at keeping active, particularly enjoying spending lots of time in her garden. Anne feels that sleep is a waste of time and would much rather have more time to do the things she enjoys doing, such as writing and doing research.

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 75+ >> Les - Interview 27 >> Les believes getting enough sleep and eating the right kind of foods are equally important in terms of health.

Les has had several very interesting and different jobs in his lifetime, ranging from being in the army, to being a theatre manager, working in the Sudan, and being a driver. He only retired finally when he was 80. Les has several health problems which contribute to making his sleep very disturbed, but he won’t let his poor sleep affect what he does during the day.

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Women aged 65-74 >> Jacqui - Interview 35 >> Eating well, exercising and sleeping well are all important to Jacqui for being able to do the things she needs and wants to do.

Jacqui lives with her partner and works part-time as a care worker. She slept well as a child, but noticed a dramatic change in her sleep when she became a stewardess, and when she got married. She believes the different shifts she worked and jet lag caused a change in her sleeping pattern. Eventually she went to the doctor for some mild sleeping tablets, which she took occasionally over the years. Currently Jacqui is sleeping much better and has not taken any sleeping tablets for a few years.

• Later life >> Sleep problems in later life >> Men aged 65-74 >> Fred - Interview 20 >> Fred believes he sleeps less well now because he is much less active since he retired.

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.