Middle Age - Sleep Throughout Life: Sleep Disorders
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Middle age
When men and women enter middle age, Stage 3 sleep begins to diminish. Nighttime awakenings become more frequent and last longer. It's particularly common for people to wake up after about three hours of sleep. During menopause, many women experience hot flashes that can interrupt sleep, sometimes leading to chronic insomnia. Obese people are more prone to nocturnal breathing problems, which often start during middle age. Here's where it pays to be physically active. Men and women who are physically fit sleep more soundly as they grow older, compared with their sedentary peers.
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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