Getting Good Sleep Through the Decades: How Your Sleep Changes as You Age
When I founded Good Night Sleep Site I focused on helping parents get more sleep by helping their babies and toddlers get more sleep. After years of working with clients, speaking at corporate events, and chatting with people in my life, I started to offer support for folks of all ages — parents and non-parents alike, because everyone deserves to sleep well.
From everyday life stresses to illness and general aging, sleep profoundly impacts every aspect of your life. With that, it’s important to learn how to navigate sleep challenges that can pop up as we age.
While sleep disturbances can certainly vary on an individual basis, there are some common sleep challenges that tend to surface in each stage of life. When you recognize what challenges may be causing you to lose sleep, you’ll be able to make changes or seek support to help get your sleep back on track.
Sleep in Your 20s
In your early twenties, you may not be thinking about prioritizing sleep. This can be an age where sleep culture promotes all-nighters and erratic napping. Many young adults tend to underestimate how much their poor sleep habits might influence the rest of their life.
Interestingly though, the biggest sleep change that happens during this decade is a change in your circadian rhythms. Sometime in your mid-20s, you’ll experience a bio rhythm shift that will help you develop the sleep patterns you’ll have for the rest of your life (and leave behind those late night and sleeping-in habits of your teens).
Some may start to become morning people, while others will still prefer evening hours, and some might find themselves an easy mix of both. As you move through your 20s, the eventual realization may set in that your sleep deprivation cycle doesn’t leave you feeling energized since it so deeply affects cognitive function, mood, and emotional regulation.
Sleep in Your 30s
Some people describe your 30s as a marathon. There are many life changes taking place and you’re most likely trying to balance work, friends, family, and finances — all of which seem to be in overdrive and demand your attention.
All of these factors can have a major impact on sleep and sleep cycles, which actually makes it an ideal time to identify the sleep routine and sleep habits that work for your specific needs.
During this decade, your sleep cycles will start to include less deep sleep, and you’ll spend more time in the lighter stages of non-REM sleep. In fact, research indicates that we lose deep sleep at a rate of about 2% a decade, starting in your 30s and lasting up until about age 60.
You may notice you start to experience more restlessness, waking more easily and often at night, and feeling less refreshed in the morning. It’s an excellent time to do a sleep audit and to do some work around improving your sleep environment.
Sleep in Your 40s
Many people in their 40s report going to bed exhausted but still have trouble falling asleep. Other common complaints include waking once or twice a night (bathroom trips typically increase in frequency), or early wakings and not being able to go back to sleep.
In addition to a busy lifestyle that spills over from your 30s, there are additional biological changes that can also make sleep more challenging. For both men and women, hormones that promote healthy sleep are on the decline. At the same time, sleep-disrupting hormones, such as cortisol, are often spiking, thanks to stress and an ongoing lack of sleep.
During these years, sleeplessness can take a particular toll on weight gain and metabolic health, in both men and women. The combination of biological changes and crowded daily schedules may not be conducive to quality sleep.
It’s Never Too Late to Prioritize Sleep
Not getting the sleep you need and feeling exhausted is stressful. Especially if you want to sleep better, but just don’t know what will help or where to start.
The good news is that even as your hormones and your bio rhythms start to shift, there’s plenty that you can do to help keep your sleep on track or to establish better sleep hygiene and habits.
Establishing soothing bedtime rituals, avoiding afternoon coffee, comfy sleepwear, and transforming your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment are just a few things you can do to improve quality of sleep, regardless of age.
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We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.
