The health benefits of a proper night's rest have been
shown to help numerous conditions, from hypertension to diabetes and
depression. Now, increasing evidence points to the importance of good-quality
sleep in keeping your memory and cognitive abilities sharp, too.
Experts recommend that older adults get seven to eight
hours of sleep each night for overall good health and optimal functioning.
Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done because sleep patterns change
with age, and older individuals report more problems in getting to -- and
staying -- asleep.
According to the National Institute of Health that nearly
half of people aged 60 or older report insomnia. In addition, their sleep is
not as deep as it was at a younger age, and they tend to wake more often during
the night. Chronic pain, increased sensitivity to noise, and medical problems
like obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome also rob older
individuals of restorative sleep.
Sleeping Pill Precautions
Be aware that sleeping pills can affect your memory
and cognitive abilities. This is particularly true with benzodiazepine-type
sedatives, such as diazepam (Valium), temazepam (Restoril), lorazepam (Ativan),
oxazepam (Serax) and alprazolam (Xanax and others). Medications in this class
have been shown to increase the risk of cognitive impairment and delirium in
older adults. Consequently, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) recommends
that drugs in this class not be used for the treatment of insomnia in seniors.
In addition, short-term memory loss has been linked to
the over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which is also an
ingredient in sleep aids such as Tylenol PM and Unisom.
Newer sleep medications, including zolpidem (Ambien
and others), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and ramelteon (Rozerem), have come under
scrutiny because of reports that some people have experienced incidents like
walking, eating or even driving while sleeping during the first few hours after
taking the medication, yet having no memory of it the next day. As a further
precaution, the FDA warns people who take zolpidem extended-release (Ambien CR)
-- either 6.25 mg or 12.5 mg -- not to drive or engage in other activities that
require complete mental alertness the following day because levels of the drug
can remain high enough to impair these activities.
(Source: Scientific American Health After 50 Alerts, 2 March 2015)
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