How Does Aging Affect the Relationship Between Sleep and Physical Health?

Sleep is an important component of an individual’s health and wellness at all ages of their life. However, its impact on health can become particularly pronounced as an individual ages.

A poor night’s sleep can lead to a deteriorating quality of life in individuals as they grow older, and it can even exacerbate or lead to the onset of a number of chronic conditions. It’s common for older adults to experience changes in the duration and quality of their sleep, which can occur due to the brain’s internal clock and circadian rhythms.

The brain’s internal clock and function can deteriorate as they age, disrupting circadian rhythms and influencing when individuals feel alert and when they feel tired, which can be due to natural effects and insufficient exposure to daylight that older individuals may be susceptible to. Changes in the production of hormones, including melatonin and cortisol, can also lead to alterations and disruptions in sleep among older adults.

Aging is unavoidable, however, with proper health and lifestyle choices, good habits allow individuals to slow and even reverse many of the changes related to aging.

Sleep is essential in helping individuals feel energized and rested, as well as repairing cellular damage and much more. When individuals get a good night’s sleep, even as they age, they can to some extent reverse the physical and mental feelings that may have changed with aging.

This can lead to better muscle growth and repair, faster cognitive processing, improved mood, better memory, improved markers of metabolic health, and a stronger immune system.

Prioritizing sleep allows individuals to promote physical and mental wellness, as well as have the energy and be in a positive mood, which improves quality of life and can further exacerbate these positive effects.

As an individual ages, the onset of fine lines, wrinkles, and several blemishes associated with aging and the loss of the rejuvenated and fresh youthful look are fairly inevitable.

However, the speed at which these take hold, as well as their severity and presentation, and even more, can all be influenced by a good night’s sleep. Adequate and high-quality sleep and excellent sleep hygiene practices, including a consistent cycle, can prevent, slow down, or even reverse any of the visible signs of aging. Quality sleep helps to regenerate body tissues including muscles and bones, as well as the skin. Individuals who get deep sleep produce more human growth hormone (HGH), which can help restore the body so they can improve their appearance by enabling cells to grow and repair.

Many of the signs of aging, including a lack of skin elasticity, the onset of fine lines and wrinkles, and more, can be related to declines in natural essential proteins in the body, such as collagen production, which slows as an individual ages.

Sleep’s cellular repair capabilities can help to produce these essential proteins and, as a result, improve the body’s natural ability to repair itself, leading to compounding visible benefits.

When it comes to wrinkles, there are different types that develop for different causes. However, a lack of sleep can accelerate certain types of wrinkles, among other visible signs of aging, and can make individuals look older than they actually are due to a poor night’s sleep, which adversely impacts the skin’s ability to rejuvenate and repair itself.

Lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels, which can trigger inflammation and have adverse effects on the proteins essential to keeping the skin glowing and smooth. Individuals may become more prone to acne, the onset of various skin conditions, and the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. The increased stress in the body as it struggles with hormonal balance because of inadequate sleep can damage collagen production in the skin, which is responsible for elasticity and structure, leading to the onset of wrinkles.

Sleep services are available at the Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders. Visit us online now to learn more about our services and for directions to our locations! We also encourage everyone to visit us online to meet our team and to sign up for our special offers!