Over Sixty Winter 2022 Digital

4 NEWS WINTER 2022 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU How does your sleep compare? Take our Sleep Survey at www.o60.me/SleepSurvey and check back next issue for the results! Photo: Getty Images NEWS HELEN SIGNY NEWS Frompage 1 Sleeplessness has reached crisis levels in Australia. Millions of Australians are failing to get the sleep they need to live happy, healthy lives, according to recent research by the Sleep Health Foundation. Its research found the number of people reporting they don’t get enough sleep each day had risen from one in four adults in 2010 to one in three in 2016 – that’s 7.4 million Australians. Sleep problems in older Australians are at an all-time high, says sleep physician Professor David Hillman, of the Sleep Health Foundation. It’s an epidemic that’s not just making us sleepy – it’s affecting our ability to think straight, make good decisions and avoid accidents, he says. “Your sleepiness isn’t just your problem. If you are sleepy and get in the car, then we both have a problem. If you are irritable because you are not sleeping properly, it is a shared problem, too.” Poor sleep has been linked to various serious health issues including heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia. It also makes people depressed – in fact, Sleep crisis has alarm bells ringing sleep problems and depression are often confused, Professor Hillman says. The social and economic cost of sleep disorders in Australia 2021 , a Deloitte Access Economics report commissioned by the Sleep Health Foundation, found poor sleep cost the country an estimated $51 billion in 2019-20 in health bills, lost productivity and wellbeing. It also contributed to the deaths of almost 1000 people that year, including 108 who died in an industrial accident or after falling asleep at the wheel of a vehicle. Sleep vital for good health While some brag about getting by with just a few hours’ sleep a night, most of us can’t function without the right amount of sleep. For older Australians, that’s usually around seven to seven and a half hours a night, says Professor Hillman. When you sleep each night, your body is doing more than just resting. Your muscles and tissues repair, your blood pressure and heart get back into sync, and your brain clears itself of the toxins built up during the day. Professor Robert Adams, a sleep expert from Flinders University, says there are several reasons older Australians aren’t getting enough sleep. An ageing brain and body put people at greater risk of sleep disorders like sleep apnoea, insomnia and restless legs syndrome, while chronic conditions like arthritis, lung problems and heart failure all cause symptoms and pain that can prevent sleep. But there are social pressures, too. For example, if they’re caring for someone who wakes up during the night. Could you have a sleep problem? New treatments and technologies to aid our sleep are being developed every year. They include new medical devices to treat disorders like sleep apnoea, smart sensors in the mattress or underneath the sheets to monitor blood pressure and heart rate, and new surgical techniques to help people breathe easier while they’re asleep. But the most important step, the experts say, is for people to recognise that they have a problem in the first place. Feeling tired, waking up unrefreshed, and snoring are all signs that you might have a sleep disorder that can be treated, says Professor Hillman. And treatment won’t necessarily mean you need to wear a mask every night or have surgery.There is a lot that can be done to help you formbetter habits to improve your sleep. The right treatment can help improve pain from arthritis and other conditions, reduce your risk of falls, improve memory and cognition, and put you in a better mood. “Feeling very tired is not a normal part of old age – you’re probably not just feeling this way because you’re getting older, you’ve been putting up with it when you have a sleep disorder,” he says. “Go and see your GP – it’s definitely worth looking into.”