People spend a significant amount of time in sleep throughout their lives, and high-quality sleep is crucial for health. The common belief is that one should sleep for a full eight hours a day to maintain energy, but the actual required sleep time varies from person to person and changes with age.
As individuals age beyond sixty, physical functions gradually decline, metabolism slows down, naturally leading to a reduction in sleep time. This situation does not need to be a cause for concern; rather, excessive sleep in the elderly may not be beneficial.
Adults are typically advised to sleep eight hours a night to maintain daily physiological functions. However, individuals over sixty may find five to six hours of sleep per day sufficient due to reduced energy expenditure. Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed, with normal physical activity, indicates good sleep quality. Therefore, elderly individuals do not need to force themselves to meet the eight-hour sleep standard.
It is worth noting that excessive sleep duration in the elderly may have adverse effects. Firstly, prolonged sleep may thicken the blood, combined with vascular aging, increasing the risk of stroke. Secondly, oversleeping may further slow down an already low metabolic rate, potentially causing issues like constipation, affecting the functions of other organs. Additionally, excessive sleep may lead to poor mental states, manifesting as persistent dizziness and brain swelling due to increased blood viscosity affecting brain blood supply, slow recovery of various body systems, resulting in fatigue.
Therefore, it is advisable for individuals over sixty to adjust their sleep duration appropriately, without adhering strictly to the eight-hour standard from younger years; maintaining five to six hours of sleep per night is more beneficial for overall health. Additionally, moderate exercise, such as a daily half-hour walk, can effectively promote sleep, help maintain or enhance sleep quality, and prevent it from declining with age.
