My dad woke up 4-5 times every night at 72. Bathroom trips mostly. But sometimes he’d just lie there awake for an hour, staring at the ceiling.
He was exhausted during the day. Nodding off reading the paper. Irritable. His doctor wanted to prescribe sleeping pills.
We tried something different first. Changed his bedroom temperature. Adjusted his routine. Got him to stop the afternoon naps.
Within three weeks, he was sleeping six solid hours most nights. Still woke up once for the bathroom, but fell right back asleep.
Sleep problems affect up to 50% of adults over 60. But poor sleep isn’t a normal part of aging you just accept.
Here’s what actually works for improving sleep after 60, based on research and what helped my dad.
Why Sleep Changes After Age 60
Your body’s internal clock changes as you age. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in your brain controls your circadian rhythm. After 60, it becomes less responsive.
You produce less melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. This means more fragmented sleep and more nighttime awakenings.
Your sleep architecture changes too. You spend less time in deep, restorative sleep. A healthy 70-year-old might wake up several times during the night even without any disease.
The problem isn’t that you need less sleep. Adults over 60 still need 7-8 hours nightly. You just have a harder time getting it.
Other factors make it worse. Health conditions like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes. Medications that interfere with sleep. Frequent urination. Pain. Anxiety about aging.
But these changes don’t mean you’re doomed to poor sleep. Most sleep problems in seniors are treatable.
The Temperature Sweet Spot for Seniors
Most sleep advice says keep your bedroom cool, around 60-67°F. That works for younger adults.
But recent research on seniors found something different.
A 2023 study tracked 50 adults over 65 for 11,000 nights of sleep. The optimal temperature range for older adults was 68-77°F.
Above 77°F, sleep efficiency dropped 5-10%. But seniors also struggled at temperatures below 68°F.
Why the difference? As you age, your ability to regulate body temperature weakens. You have less flexible blood vessels, less skin insulation, less circulation. Your hypothalamus becomes less sensitive to temperature changes.
This makes seniors more vulnerable to both hypothermia and heat stroke.
The study also found significant individual variation. Some seniors slept best at 70°F. Others needed 75°F.
My dad’s bedroom was 64°F. We raised it to 72°F. He immediately slept better.
Experiment within the 68-77°F range. Adjust by one degree at a time. Give each temperature a week before judging.
Use layers if you share a bedroom with someone who prefers different temperatures. Separate blankets help.
Fix Your Sleep Schedule (Even on Weekends)
Your body craves consistency. Going to bed and waking at the same time every day reinforces your circadian rhythm.
This is harder than it sounds. Retirement means no work schedule forcing you awake. You might stay up late one night, sleep in the next morning, nap in the afternoon.
But irregular sleep schedules confuse your internal clock.
Pick a bedtime and wake time you can stick to seven days a week. Yes, weekends too. Yes, holidays.
Choose times based on when you naturally feel sleepy and alert, not arbitrary numbers. If you’re a night owl who falls asleep at 11 PM and wakes at 7 AM feeling rested, use those times.
Set an alarm for waking up. Even if you slept poorly, get up at your scheduled time. This helps reset your rhythm.
Resist the urge to compensate for lost sleep by sleeping in or napping long. It perpetuates the problem.
The Nap Problem
Many seniors nap daily. Sometimes multiple times.
Napping isn’t inherently bad. Short naps can be restorative. But they can wreck nighttime sleep if done wrong.
If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, eliminate naps entirely for two weeks. See if it helps.
If you must nap, follow these rules:
Nap before 3 PM. Afternoon and evening naps interfere with nighttime sleep.
Keep it short. 20-30 minutes maximum. Longer naps mean entering deep sleep, which makes you groggy and steals from nighttime.
Nap in a chair, not your bed. Reserve your bed for nighttime sleep only.
If you’re napping because you’re bored rather than tired, find activities instead. Social engagement, hobbies, exercise.
My dad was napping 90 minutes every afternoon. We cut it to zero. Within days, he was falling asleep faster at night.
Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Sanctuary
Your bedroom environment matters enormously.
Darkness is essential. Light suppresses melatonin production. Even small amounts affect sleep quality.
Use blackout curtains or heavy blinds. Cover LED lights on electronics with electrical tape. If you need a nightlight for bathroom trips, use a dim red one. Red light doesn’t suppress melatonin like blue or white.
Minimize noise. External sounds fragment sleep even if you don’t fully wake. Use earplugs or a white noise machine to mask disruptive sounds.
Invest in a quality mattress and pillows. Your body changes with age. A mattress you loved at 50 might not work at 70. If your mattress is over 8 years old, consider replacing it.
Medium-firm mattresses work for most people. Memory foam or latex adapt to changing pressure points.
Choose breathable, moisture-wicking bedding. Cotton or bamboo sheets regulate temperature better than synthetics.
Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. No TV, no computer work, no eating, no paying bills. This conditions your brain to associate the bedroom with sleep.
The 20-Minute Rule
If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed.
Lying awake in bed creates a mental association between your bed and wakefulness. This makes insomnia worse.
Go to another room. Do something quiet and non-stimulating. Read a boring book. Listen to calm music. Fold laundry.
Keep lights dim. Bright light signals your brain it’s daytime.
No screens. The blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs suppresses melatonin and increases alertness.
Return to bed only when you feel sleepy. Not tired. Sleepy. There’s a difference.
If you still can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, repeat the process.
This might mean getting up multiple times initially. That’s okay. You’re retraining your brain.
The same rule applies to middle-of-the-night awakenings. If you can’t fall back asleep within 20 minutes, get up.
What to Eat and Drink (and When)
Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours. If you drink coffee at 3 PM, half the caffeine is still in your system at 9 PM.
Cut off caffeine by noon if you go to bed at 10 PM. That includes coffee, tea, cola, chocolate.
Older adults metabolize caffeine more slowly. Sensitivity increases with age.
Alcohol might make you drowsy initially, but it disrupts sleep later in the night. It suppresses REM sleep and causes middle-of-the-night awakenings.
If you drink alcohol, stop 3-4 hours before bed.
Avoid large meals within three hours of bedtime. Full stomach causes discomfort and acid reflux.
But don’t go to bed hungry either. A light snack is fine. Foods containing tryptophan might help. Warm milk, a small turkey sandwich, a banana, a handful of almonds.
Limit fluids two hours before bed to reduce nighttime bathroom trips. But stay hydrated during the day.
If nighttime urination is a major problem, talk to your doctor. It could indicate a medical issue needing treatment.
Exercise for Better Sleep
Regular exercise significantly improves sleep quality in older adults. Studies show people who exercise 30 minutes daily sleep longer and deeper.
Exercise reduces time to fall asleep. Increases total sleep time. Improves sleep efficiency. Reduces daytime sleepiness.
It also helps with conditions that disrupt sleep: arthritis pain, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea risk.
But timing matters. Vigorous exercise raises body temperature and cortisol. This increases alertness.
Exercise in the morning or early afternoon when possible. Finish intense workouts at least 3-4 hours before bed.
Gentle activities like stretching or slow walking are fine in the evening.
Even if you’re not very active, some movement helps. A 20-minute walk daily makes a difference.
Light Exposure Strategy
Light is the most powerful regulator of your circadian rhythm.
Get bright light exposure in the morning. This signals your brain it’s time to be alert and delays melatonin production until evening.
Go outside within an hour of waking. Even 15-30 minutes helps. Cloudy days provide enough light.
If you can’t go outside, sit near a window or use a light therapy box.
Many seniors don’t get enough daylight exposure, especially those who are less mobile or live in residential facilities. This disrupts their sleep-wake cycle.
Get afternoon sunlight too, especially in winter. This helps prevent your circadian rhythm from shifting too early.
Dim lights in the evening. This signals your body to start producing melatonin.
Avoid bright screens 1-2 hours before bed. If you must use devices, enable night mode or blue light filters.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I is the gold standard treatment for chronic insomnia. Research shows it’s more effective long-term than sleeping pills.
Studies on seniors specifically found CBT-I significantly improved sleep efficiency, reduced time to fall asleep, decreased nighttime awakenings, and improved total sleep time.
One study of adults with an average age of 77 found CBT-I was highly effective even in very old patients with multiple health conditions.
CBT-I targets the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that perpetuate insomnia. It includes several components:
Sleep restriction: Limiting time in bed to match actual sleep time. This builds sleep drive and improves efficiency. Gradually increase time in bed as sleep improves.
Stimulus control: Using your bed only for sleep and sex. Getting up if you can’t sleep within 20 minutes. These strategies break the association between bed and wakefulness.
Cognitive restructuring: Changing negative thoughts about sleep. Instead of “I’ll be a wreck tomorrow if I don’t sleep,” think “Even if I sleep poorly, I can function tomorrow.”
Sleep hygiene education: Learning about factors that affect sleep and how to optimize them.
Relaxation techniques: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, meditation.
CBT-I typically runs 6-8 sessions with a trained therapist. But online CBT-I programs also show good results and are more accessible.
One study of a digital CBT-I program for adults 55-95 found significant improvements in insomnia that lasted through 12-month follow-up.
CBT-I takes more effort initially than taking a pill. But the results last. No side effects. No dependency. Sleep continues improving after treatment ends.
Common Sleep Disorders in Seniors
Sometimes poor sleep isn’t just aging or bad habits. It’s an actual sleep disorder needing medical treatment.
Sleep apnea affects an estimated 20-60% of adults over 65. You stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. This briefly wakes you, disrupting sleep even if you don’t remember waking.
Signs: loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, daytime exhaustion despite adequate time in bed, morning headaches, irritability.
Risk increases if you’re overweight. Treatment usually involves CPAP or oral appliances. Very effective once you adjust to it.
Restless legs syndrome causes tingling, crawling, pins-and-needles sensations in your legs. Worse at night, relieved by movement.
Treatment includes iron supplementation if deficient, medications, warm baths, gentle leg stretches before bed.
Periodic limb movement disorder causes jerking and kicking during sleep every 20-40 seconds. You’re unaware but it fragments sleep.
Common in people over 60. Treatment includes medications, warm baths, relaxation techniques.
REM behavior disorder means you act out dreams physically. Can be dangerous. Treatment includes making the bedroom safe and medications or melatonin.
If you suspect a sleep disorder, see a doctor. You might need a sleep study to diagnose it properly.
When Medications Are the Problem
Many medications interfere with sleep. Seniors often take multiple medications, compounding the effect.
Common culprits: blood pressure medications (especially beta blockers), antidepressants, corticosteroids, decongestants, some pain medications, ADHD medications, thyroid medications.
Some medications cause insomnia. Others cause daytime drowsiness that disrupts nighttime sleep.
Don’t stop medications without talking to your doctor. But do review all your medications with them.
Ask if any could be affecting your sleep. Whether timing adjustments might help. If alternatives exist.
Sometimes switching from morning to evening dosing helps. Or vice versa.
The Truth About Sleep Medications
Sleep medications seem like an easy solution. But for older adults, they come with serious risks.
Benzodiazepines like temazepam and triazolam are potentially addictive. They increase fall risk, cause morning grogginess, impair memory, and lose effectiveness over time.
Z-drugs like zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), and eszopiclone (Lunesta) work on the same brain receptors. They have the same risks.
The FDA issued stronger warnings about sleep medications after reports of dangerous sleep behaviors including sleep-driving.
Older adults are especially vulnerable. These medications can cause confusion, delirium, falls, and fractures in seniors.
Over-the-counter sleep aids contain antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Chronic use has been linked to cognitive decline and increased dementia risk in studies.
Medical guidelines now recommend against sleep medications as long-term solutions for seniors.
They might help short-term during a crisis. But the goal should be getting off them, not staying on them indefinitely.
If you’re taking sleep medications, talk to your doctor about tapering off under supervision while implementing behavioral strategies.
Melatonin for Seniors
Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces. Levels decrease with age, contributing to sleep problems.
Melatonin supplements are widely available and generally safe for short-term use.
But the evidence for chronic melatonin use is limited. It works better for specific conditions like jet lag than general insomnia.
If you try melatonin, use low doses. Start with 0.5-1 mg. Most supplements contain 3-10 mg, which is excessive.
Take it 1-2 hours before your target bedtime.
Side effects are usually mild but can include daytime drowsiness, dizziness, headaches.
Melatonin can interact with blood thinners, diabetes medications, immunosuppressants, and blood pressure medications. Check with your doctor first.
What Worked for My Dad
We made several changes at once, so I can’t say which mattered most. But here’s what we did:
Raised bedroom temperature from 64°F to 72°F.
Eliminated afternoon naps.
Set a consistent wake time of 7 AM, even after poor nights.
Limited fluids after 7 PM.
Moved his evening medications to morning when possible.
Got him walking 20 minutes each morning.
Installed blackout curtains.
Applied the 20-minute rule: if not asleep, get up and read until drowsy.
Cut caffeine after lunch.
The first week was rough. He was tired from skipping naps and maintaining the wake schedule despite poor sleep.
Week two showed improvement. Falling asleep faster. Fewer middle-of-the-night awakenings.
Week three, he slept six hours solid most nights. Still woke once for the bathroom but fell right back asleep.
Now at six months, his sleep is consistently good. Not perfect every night, but no longer a daily struggle.
His mood improved. Energy increased. Less irritable. More engaged with family.
When to See a Doctor
Try behavioral strategies for 2-3 weeks. If you see no improvement, talk to your doctor.
See a doctor sooner if you:
Snore loudly, gasp, or stop breathing during sleep.
Have overwhelming urges to move your legs at night.
Act out dreams physically.
Fall asleep during daytime activities despite adequate nighttime sleep.
Experience chronic pain interfering with sleep.
Take multiple medications that might affect sleep.
Feel depressed or anxious in ways that disrupt sleep.
Your doctor can evaluate for sleep disorders, review medications, check for underlying health issues, and refer you to a sleep specialist if needed.
Keep a sleep diary for two weeks before your appointment. Track when you go to bed, when you wake during the night, when you wake for the day, caffeine and alcohol consumption, exercise, naps, and how you feel the next day.
This information helps diagnose the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to sleep less as you age?
No. You still need 7-8 hours of sleep in your 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. What changes is sleep quality, not sleep need. Your sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented, but total sleep requirement stays the same. Don’t accept chronic sleep deprivation as normal aging.
How long does it take to fix sleep problems after 60?
Most people see improvement within 2-3 weeks of implementing sleep hygiene changes. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia typically produces results within 6-8 weeks. But chronic insomnia that developed over years won’t vanish overnight. Be patient and consistent with changes.
Are sleeping pills safe for seniors?
Not for long-term use. Sleeping pills carry higher risks for older adults including falls, fractures, confusion, morning grogginess, and dependence. They can be used short-term during crises under doctor supervision, but behavioral approaches are safer and more effective long-term. Medical guidelines now recommend against chronic sleeping pill use in seniors.
What’s the best sleeping position for seniors?
Side sleeping is generally best, particularly on your left side. This reduces snoring and sleep apnea risk, minimizes acid reflux, and improves circulation. Use a pillow between your knees to align your spine. Back sleeping can worsen sleep apnea. Stomach sleeping strains your neck. But comfort matters most—choose the position that lets you sleep without pain.
Can I take naps and still sleep well at night?
Short naps before 3 PM usually don’t interfere with nighttime sleep. Keep them under 30 minutes. But if you’re having trouble sleeping at night, eliminate naps entirely for 2-3 weeks to see if it helps. Many seniors nap out of boredom rather than true sleepiness, which can disrupt nighttime sleep patterns.
Should I just stay in bed if I wake up in the middle of the night?
No. If you can’t fall back asleep within 20 minutes, get up and go to another room. Do something quiet and unstimulating until you feel sleepy again. Lying awake in bed creates a negative association between your bed and wakefulness, making insomnia worse over time. This is a key component of effective sleep therapy.
The Bottom Line on Sleep After 60
Poor sleep isn’t something you just accept because you’re older.
My dad’s story isn’t unique. Up to 50% of seniors have chronic sleep problems. But most are fixable with the right approach.
Start with your bedroom environment. Temperature between 68-77°F works for most seniors. Make it dark, quiet, comfortable.
Fix your schedule. Same bedtime and wake time every day, including weekends. Eliminate or limit naps.
Apply the 20-minute rule. If you can’t sleep, get up.
Watch what you eat and drink. Cut caffeine by noon. Limit alcohol and fluids before bed.
Exercise regularly, but not close to bedtime.
Get bright light in the morning. Dim lights in the evening.
If self-help strategies don’t work within 2-3 weeks, consider cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. It’s the most effective treatment and works well for seniors.
Rule out sleep disorders that need medical treatment. Sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder all respond to treatment.
Review your medications with your doctor. Many interfere with sleep.
Avoid sleeping pills for long-term use. The risks outweigh benefits in older adults.
Be patient. Sleep problems that developed over months or years won’t resolve in a few days. Give changes 2-3 weeks before judging effectiveness.
Better sleep improves everything. Mood, memory, energy, health, quality of life.
My dad wishes he’d addressed his sleep problems years earlier. But he’s grateful he finally did.
You deserve good sleep at any age.
