There is a scientific explanation for the elderly sleep less – Overview

Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA, and the University of Toronto, Canada, the study concluded that there is a specific set of neurons associated with the regulation of sleep, called the pre-optic nucleus in the anterior hypothalamus, which will die with age.

“The more cells lost due to aging, the harder it is to sleep,” says Clifford Saper, head of research and chairman of the Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cente.

Through the study it was observed that people with 70 years usually sleep about an hour and a half from when we were 20 years and that the more neurons, the longer continuous sleep (ie, fewer interruptions).

Published in the journal Brain (brain), the new findings could pave the way for developing drugs that help the elderly to sleep without affecting other brain functions.