How has sleep changed over the course of your life?

During the process of growing from childhood to old age, your sleep always has a certain change. These changes can contribute to sleep-related problems. While this is very common, the effects of sleep changes can be prevented.

Our sleep changes throughout our life stages. It has been found that there are many problems related to sleep changes such as sleep time needs, sleep cycles.
1.1 Change in sleep time needs Usually, the need for sleep time in humans tends to decrease over time, young people have a greater need for sleep than elderly people.
At birth, babies need many hours of sleep during the day. Because children need sleep time to help their bodies grow, but as they grow older, the total amount of sleep a day will decrease, increasing the time to stay awake and play or do other things. Specifically, sleep needs change by age as follows:
Newborns (from 0 to 3 months old) need about 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day. Most of the time a child sleeps, at this stage sleeping is very important for him, so he sleeps more. At this stage, children may not be able to distinguish between day and night, so some children have a state of being awake at night and sleeping during the day. Babies 4 to 11 months old need 12 to 15 hours of sleep each day. At this time, the child's biological clock has worked well, so children often sleep together mainly at night. Children 1 to 2 years old need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep each day. Kindergarten children aged 2 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep each day. School-age children aged 6-13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep each day. Teenagers (14 to 17 years old) need about 8 to 10 hours a day. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Older adults (over 65 years old) need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each day. Often, older people tend to sleep less than other age groups. Our sleep time tends to decrease with age, which can be attributed to many factors. One of those factors could be changes in aging.
1.2 Change in sleep cycle Change in sleep cycle is also a notable point of change with age.
Sleep cycles in infants and young children: There are two different types of sleep, active sleep and restful sleep. During dynamic sleep, the baby will move a lot, make noise and be easily awakened. When the baby enters deep sleep, the baby will be quieter, breathe more regularly and be difficult to wake up. Children repeat the sleep cycle many times during the night and their characteristics are often awake many times at night to eat at night. Older children and adults: Usually go through 2 cycles of sleep. The first cycle consists of four stages of sleep: lethargy, deep sleep, and very deep sleep. The next cycle is usually near morning, during this period people will often have dreams. As people get older, the total time of deep sleep will be reduced, instead of periods of deep sleep. Elderly: Just like young people, elderly people also have 2 sleep cycles. However, often the time of deep sleep of the elderly is very little. They also have a harder time falling asleep, and are more likely to wake up and wake up earlier. Older adults are found to be woken up about 3 to 4 times per night.

Changes in sleep can be caused by many factors such as gender, age, hormonal changes, medical conditions or pressures that increase with age. These factors have a significant impact on sleep-related problems, especially in the elderly.
Some of the effects of sleep changes on the elderly include:
Sleep deprivation, insomnia : This is the most common problem in the elderly. Due to changes in the body, hormones or the effects of external factors, the elderly often find it very difficult to sleep and not sleep well. This problem also increases the risk of chronic diseases or mental disorders in the elderly. In addition, the elderly are often affected by medical conditions that cause pain, have more difficulty sleeping, and certain medications can also be factors that increase the risk of insomnia. Psychiatric disorders: Because prolonged sleep deprivation affects the mood of the elderly, people with insomnia have a higher risk of depression. Sleep disorders: Some other sleep disorders can occur such as restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy...

Most of the biggest effects of sleep changes are difficulty sleeping, lack of sleep. You may notice some signs of this condition such as:
Need a stimulant like coffee to stay awake or start a task. Feeling depressed, irritable, or stressed after not getting enough sleep. Has poor short-term memory, reduced ability to focus attention. Often feel sleepy during the day, do not have enough energy at work.

A good and sufficient sleep is essential at any age. Therefore, maintaining healthy sleep habits helps you prevent many chronic diseases, as well as prevent the effects of sleep changes.
Some measures that can help you maintain a healthy sleep routine include:
Avoid stimulants such as alcohol, tea, coffee and tobacco at least 3 or 4 hours before bedtime. Do not nap for too long during the day, usually not more than 30 minutes. Exercise at regular times each day, preferably outdoors during the day. But don't exercise within about 3 hours of bedtime. Avoid overly arousing states, such as violent TV shows or computer games, before bed. Practice relaxation techniques regularly before going to bed. Do not watch television or use computers, mobile phones or tablets in the bedroom. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. A bedtime snack can be helpful. Many people find that warm milk increases feelings of sleepiness because it contains a natural, sedative-like amino acid. Watch out for medications that can affect sleep. If you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet activity, like reading or listening to music, or journaling. When you feel drowsy, get back in bed and try again. If you still can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, repeat the process. If your insomnia persists for more than a month and you don't get better, you should see a health professional for treatment. In summary, sleep changes throughout life have many causes and triggers. It is important that you improve your sleep now to prevent the effects of sleep changes on you.