Health Tip: Why Some Seniors Can't Sleep

(HealthDay News) -- Older adults still need seven or eight hours of sleep each night to feel rested and refreshed in the morning. But getting that much sleep poses a challenge for many elderly people.

The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these common causes of sleep problems among seniors:

• Age-associated changes in the sleep-wake cycle.

• Age-associated reduction in the body's production of "sleep hormones," such as melatonin.

• Smoking and increased consumption of alcohol or caffeine.

• Pain or illness.

• Taking certain medications.

• Disorders such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.