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Aging and sleep

You'll sleep a little less as you age — resist the rest.

Sleep is one of the things that declines with age; meta-analysis shows total sleep and deep sleep fall modestly across adulthood. Fine. But don't accept every decline as aging — resist and fight as much of it as possible. Under 25 you're a powerhouse; after that, don't accept frailty, but don't expect a 20-year-old's energy without stimulants either.

Sources · 3

Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy…Ohayon MM, Carskadon MA, Guilleminault C, Vitiello MV · 2004Total sleep time and deep sleep decline modestly across adulthood — some reduction with age is normal.Effects of exercise on the resting heart rateReimers AK, Knapp G, Reimers CD · 2018Endurance training lowers resting heart rate by ~5 bpm on average; yoga also lowers it.National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendationsHirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. · 20157–9 h recommended for adults 26–64; 7–8 h for 65+.

Related topics

Sleep duration & healthExercise, RHR & energyLife stages

Frequently asked questions

Aging and sleep?

You'll sleep a little less as you age — resist the rest.

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Track it, don't guess it

SleepShred turns this research into a 20-second daily habit: log your night, see which of your own behaviours move your sleep, and screen for the disorders nobody diagnoses.

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.