Ep115: Sleep and Aging: How Sleep Can Help Us Age Well - With Dr. Weiss

OVERVIEW

As you age the first thing that you might worry about are the changes in your physical appearance, like the sagginess of your skin, or the wrinkles on your forehead. But what if you don’t consider beauty as an essential thing in your life? For older people, this might be the case because one of the biggest changes that they might encounter are the changes in their sleep patterns. If an older adult has difficulties in sleeping it can affect every aspect of their health from physical to their cognitive performance. Is there a way to help older people that you know face any mental or physical challenges just because they have a poor night of sleep?

In this week's episode, I am so delighted to have on the show Dr. Carleara Weiss she has over 15 years of experience as an Adult-Geriatric Nurse and a Ph.D. in Nursing, focusing on Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Circadian Rhythms. She is also a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. In this interview, she will share the importance of sleep for older adults and how sleep changes as you age. She will also discuss the challenges that older adults might encounter if they have poor sleep quality. Listen to the episode and find out why sleep is essential as people age.

WHAT WILL WE LEARN

02:00 What does sleep look like as we age?
03:22 How sleep is affecting the physical or cognitive performance of an older adult
04:20 If a person gets older does it mean that they will have poor sleep quality
05:54 What are the consequences that older adults might encounter if they don't have good or enough sleep
07:10 Memory impairment and mood disorders: How it affects older people's sleep
08:18 How sleep disorder can lead to a more serious mental or medical condition for older adults
10:49 Why sleep is considered a key component before doing any medical tests
12:26 Is it true that if you have poor sleep you are more prone to having Alzheimer's disease or cognitive impairment
15:35 If you get older how can you prevent yourself from napping
18:56 Does older adult's mobility affects their sleep
20:08 What are the treatments made for older adults who want to prevent sleeping during the day
21:27 Common challenges faced by older adults when it comes to sleep
23:39 Why is it hard for older adults to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning and what are the adjustments needed to make their sleep better
26:46 The idea of getting older: How it is changing
29:29 How to reach Dr. Weiss and her services
30:40 Dr. Weiss's advice to everyone about sleep