AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults-7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.

Detailed explanation-2: -According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.

Detailed explanation-3: -Shifting sleep schedule: As people age, the body’s circadian rhythms actually shift forward in time. This shift is called a phase advance. Many older adults experience this phase advance as getting tired earlier in the afternoon and waking up earlier in the morning.

Detailed explanation-4: -Women ages 70 and older can still get an adequate amount of stage 3 sleep (15 percent of the night), whereas men of the same age often only achieve a cycle of deep sleep about 5 percent of the night.