When it comes to sleep quality and insomnia, our seniors tend to get a raw deal.
Not only are seniors more likely to find sleep difficult, the prevalence of insomnia amongst seniors is quite astonishing.
Unfortunately, the typical response is to prescribe sleeping pills.
Chronic insomnia can increase our risk for a number of other health conditions. It's thought that this is primarily down to increases in inflammation due to sleep deprivation.
Seniors are particularly susceptible.
A recent study set out to investigate whether tackling insomnia in those over the age of 55 could lead to a reduction in inflammation and its associated health risks.
Researchers found that treating insomnia reduced a known marker for inflammatory risk, which should also reduce risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
As for the most effective insomnia treatment? Researchers found cognitive behavioral therapy to be the most effective (and lasting) way to improve sleep quality.
If you want to know more about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, I cover the technique in detail in my free sleep training course.
Source: SLEEP
Improve your sleep in two weeks: Over 5,000 insomniacs have completed my free insomnia sleep training course and 97% of graduates say they would recommend it to a friend. Learn more here.
Last updated: January 5, 2015
