There used to be an old wives’ tale that suggested older people needed a lot less sleep than younger people. But according to The National Institutes of Health, older adults only need one hour less sleep—the recommended amount is 6 1/2 to 7 hours per night. Unfortunately, almost half of adults age 60 and older experience insomnia, a form of sleep deprivation that can last anywhere from days to weeks to months.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, normal sleep is NREM sleep or non-rapid eye movement sleep. There are four stages, beginning with light sleep and progressing to deeper sleep. During REM sleep, or rapid eye movement, our breathing becomes irregular and shallow; our eyes move rapidly; limb muscles become immobile, and vivid dreaming may occur. The entire NREM-REM cycle usually lasts around 90 minutes and can take place four to five times during a night of normal sleep.
