Aging Brains and Cataracts Push Older Adults to Wake Earlier, Affecting 50% of Americans Over 80
Updated
Updated · health.yahoo.com · Jul 26
Aging Brains and Cataracts Push Older Adults to Wake Earlier, Affecting 50% of Americans Over 80
3 articles · Updated · health.yahoo.com · Jul 26
Summary
Older adults often wake earlier because aging brains respond less effectively to time cues such as light, meals, activity and social routines, sleep experts said.
Vision changes add to that shift: cataracts reduce evening light reaching the brain, making sunset seem earlier and triggering melatonin release sooner.
Cataracts affect more than 50% of Americans age 80 and older, and experts said removal surgery may improve sleep quality and duration by restoring light cues.
To delay sleep and wake times, experts recommend 30 to 60 minutes of bright light before sunset—often for about two hours—plus exercise, morning sunlight and avoiding alcohol before bed.
The explanation ties a common age-related sleep pattern to both internal circadian changes and external light perception, suggesting some habits can partly offset a natural process.