How Sleep Changes as We Age
An October focus on healthy sleep habits, gentler routines, and the bedroom changes that help you rest well as the clocks fall back and the evenings grow long
October is a natural time to think about sleep. The days are noticeably shorter, and on Sunday, November 1, clocks “fall back” an hour as Daylight Saving Time ends. For many older adults, that shift arrives on top of changes in sleep that have been building quietly for years. Most adults over 65 still need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night, but getting those hours often becomes harder than it used to be.
The reasons are largely biological. With age, the body’s internal clock tends to shift earlier, bringing sleepiness in the early evening and wakefulness before dawn. Sleep also becomes lighter, with less time spent in the deep, slow-wave stage that helps the body repair itself and the mind feel refreshed. The result is more frequent awakenings during the night, often prompted by a trip to the bathroom, an aching joint, or simply a noise that wouldn’t have registered a decade earlier.
Consider Harold, 80, a retired machinist who had always prided himself on sleeping “like a rock.” Over a single winter, he found himself nodding off in his recliner by 7:30, then lying awake at 3 a.m., staring at the ceiling until sunrise. “I thought something was wrong with me,” he said. “Turns out my body was just running on a different schedule, and I’d never adjusted anything to match it.”
Harold’s experience is common, and it isn’t a sign that restful sleep is out of reach. Poor sleep is not an inevitable part of aging; it is more often the product of a routine, an environment, or a sleep surface that no longer fits the body using it. Each of those can be adjusted, and there is no better time to start than before the clocks change and the long evenings settle in.
Creating the Ideal Sleep Schedule as Daylight Decreases
The single most helpful sleep habit is also the simplest: going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, weekends included. A steady schedule gives the body’s internal clock a reliable anchor, and that anchor matters more than ever when daylight is scarce. To ease into the November time change, try shifting bedtime and wake time by 10 to 15 minutes every few days during the last two weeks of October, so the one-hour jump feels like a small step instead of a sudden drop.
Light is the other half of the equation. Getting outdoors in the morning, even for a short walk or a cup of coffee on the porch, tells the body that the day has begun and helps keep sleepiness from arriving too early in the evening. When the afternoon light fades early, turning on brighter indoor lights until after dinner can help push back that 7 p.m. drowsiness. Then, in the hour before bed, dim the lights, set aside phones and tablets, and choose something calming, such as reading, gentle stretching, or quiet music.
A few daytime choices round out a good schedule. Limit naps to about 20 to 30 minutes, taken before mid-afternoon, so they refresh without stealing nighttime sleep. Cut off caffeine by early afternoon, keep evening meals light, and ease up on fluids in the last couple of hours before bed to reduce nighttime bathroom trips. Finally, keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and reserve the bed for sleep and rest so the body learns to associate it with winding down.
The Role of Adjustable Beds in Combating Insomnia
Insomnia in later life is often less about the mind refusing to rest and more about the body refusing to settle. Heartburn that flares when lying flat, snoring or congestion that disrupts breathing, swollen legs, and stiff hips or a sore lower back can each keep someone awake or wake them repeatedly. A flat mattress offers only one position to cope with all of them, which is why so many people end up dozing in a recliner instead of their own bed.
An adjustable bed changes that by letting the sleep surface fit the body rather than the other way around. Raising the head a few inches can ease acid reflux and help open the airway for those who snore. Lifting the feet slightly can relieve pressure on the lower back and help reduce swelling in the legs and ankles. Small adjustments like these can make the difference between a night spent tossing and turning and one spent sleeping through.
An adjustable bed also supports the healthy habits that ease insomnia. Sitting up comfortably to read during a calm pre-bed routine, then lowering the bed to sleep, helps signal to the body that it’s time to wind down. And for anyone who wakes during the night, being able to shift into a more comfortable position with the touch of a button, instead of getting up and moving to another room, makes it far easier to drift back to sleep. Of course, persistent insomnia can have many causes, so it’s worth raising with a doctor, especially if trouble sleeping lasts more than a few weeks.
Spotlight: Positions That Promote Deeper, More Restorative Sleep
This month’s spotlight turns to the positions that help the body relax into deep, restorative sleep, and to how Transfer Master’s adjustable beds make each one easier to find and hold. One of the most popular is the “zero-gravity” position: the head raised slightly and the knees lifted so they rest at or just above heart level. This gently spreads body weight, takes pressure off the lower back, and encourages circulation, which is why many people find it the most comfortable way to fall asleep after a long day.
For those who experience acid reflux or snoring, a head-elevated position, with the upper body raised several inches, uses gravity to keep stomach acid down and airways more open. Side sleepers can also benefit from a slightly raised head, especially when paired with a pillow between the knees to keep the hips and spine aligned. And for anyone with swollen ankles or tired legs, lifting the feet a few inches above the level of the heart can offer welcome relief by morning.
Transfer Master’s height-adjustable beds let each of these positions be set precisely and changed easily through the night, so the bed can meet the body wherever it needs support. That same adjustability means the bed can be raised to a comfortable height for getting in and out, just as we discussed in last month’s fall prevention issue. It’s worth asking your care team or equipment provider whether a Transfer Master adjustable bed could help you find your most restful position this season.
Good sleep isn’t about forcing more hours in bed; it’s about helping the body rest the way it needs to now: a steady schedule, plenty of morning light, a calm wind-down, and a bed that supports every position. This October, before the clocks fall back, take a moment to look at when you sleep, how your evenings unfold, and how comfortable your bed truly is. Transfer Master is honored to help make that rest restorative, so that the longer nights of the season bring deeper sleep and brighter mornings.
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