Why You Wake Up Earlier As You Age
Have you noticed it’s become impossible to sleep in lately? There’s actually a simple reason why rising early gets easier as we get older, according to experts.
As Aging Happens
While it may be tempting to blame early waking entirely on responsibilities or a changing body clock, the key factor is actually improved sleep quality.
“As we age, we consolidate our sleep,” explains Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. “Older adults tend to go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, and have a less disrupted sleep with fewer awakenings.”
Deep Sleep Declines
The aging process causes a reduction in deep slow-wave sleep. Since this stage helps you stay immersed in sleep, a decrease can translate to more natural awakenings.
“Deep sleep becomes shallower, so interruptions at night cause more awakenings,” says Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University. “As the night goes on, sleep becomes lighter.”
Increased Frailty
Other aspects of aging can also impact rising time. A frequent need to urinate, aches and pains, or medical conditions may lead to awakening more often. Sunrise can even trigger an earlier rise when vision worsens.
“Frailty and chronic disease can cause easy early awakening,” Dr. Pelayo notes.
While multiple factors are at play, the quality and structure of our sleep changes in predictable ways as we get older. So the next time you wake up hours before the alarm, you can blame your age, not the sun!
The Truth Behind Why We Wake Up Earlier As We Age
You’ve heard the jokes about grandpas awake at dawn while teens sleep til noon. Turns out there’s science behind this! As we age, natural body changes impact our sleep in predictable ways.
“It’s interconnected – not just one reason,” explains psychology professor Cindy Lustig. She breaks down the factors with other experts:
Deeper Sleep Declines
Slow-wave sleep helps us stay immersed in dreamland. But as we age, this rejuvenating deep sleep decreases, causing more nighttime awakenings.
“Interruptions at night lead to more light, restless sleep by morning,” says sleep expert Dr. Phyllis Zee.
Health Issues Play a Role
Aches, pains and conditions like sleep apnea also contribute to waking up more often. Frequent bathroom trips don’t help either.
And when eyesight dims, the morning sunlight can trigger earlier rising. “Frailty and chronic disease cause easy early awakening,” notes Dr. Rafael Pelayo.
While many interconnected factors are at play, our sleep architecture and quality changes predictably as we age – no matter how hard we try to fight it!
Why Aging Causes Earlier Wake Times
Like other aspects of health, our brain’s responsiveness declines with age. The wiring isn’t sensing and responding to cues as sharply.
“Time givers” like sunset, light, meals, and activity help mark where we are in the 24-hour cycle. But as we age, the brain has more trouble connecting these dots.
Nerves that transmit time signals to the brain also degrade. So older people tend to feel tired and turn in early compared to youngsters. And they wake up fully rested before everyone else.
As Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy explains, an aging brain struggles to interpret dinner time as a sleep signal like a younger brain would. The inability to sense time cues contributes to earlier bed and rise times.
In essence, wear and tear on the brain and nerves makes it tougher for older adults to calibrate the circadian rhythm. When the body’s internal clock gets out of sync with sun and social cues, earlier mornings often result.
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The Role of Changing Eyesight
Our eyes regulate the body clock by transmitting light cues. But aging brings vision loss that disrupts this process.
As psychology professor Cindy Lustig explains, diminished light input sets our circadian rhythm out of sync. It makes the brain think sunset came sooner than it did.
Ophthalmology expert Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy notes this is especially true with cataracts. The clouding and blurred vision means less light reaches the retina.
So for cataract patients, melatonin release starts too early, making them feel tired and turning in sooner than younger folks. Going to bed earlier inevitably results in earlier waking as well.
Parthasarathy says cataract surgery can potentially help by removing the obstruction and improving light transmission to the brain. This assists in resetting the natural sleep/wake cycle.
The takeaway is that age-related vision decline inhibits light signals that are vital timekeepers. When our eyes lose synchrony with the sun, our body clock gets thrown off – sometimes resulting in a too-early rise time.
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How to Push Back on Early Wake Times
If you struggle with waking too early, there are steps you can take for better rest.
Expose yourself to bright light in the evenings. Go for a sunset walk, read on an iPad, or install bright lights.
As Dr. Parthasarathy explains, light tells your brain it’s still daytime, delaying melatonin release. Do this 30-60 minutes before dusk.
Aim for about 2 hours of exposure after sunset too. This keeps your body clock aligned later into the evening. You may need to experiment to get the timing right.
Avoid alcohol before bed, as it disrupts quality sleep. Exercise can help you rest better. And morning sunlight helps reset your circadian rhythm.
While some changes come with age, you have power over your environment and habits. Healthy practices can help counteract the factors pushing you to rise early when you’d rather sleep in.
With a few tweaks to your evening and sleep routine, you can enjoy deeper rest and wake at a more desirable time. Don’t despair – you can take steps to maintain better sleep as you get older.
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Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
