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Some nights feel long at any age, but with the years sleeping well gets harder: it takes longer to fall asleep, waking up is more frequent and sleep is lighter. For an older person living alone, one bad night after another weighs double: it weighs at night and it weighs the next day.
How much sleep do we need?
A panel of experts from the US National Sleep Foundation, in its 2015 consensus, recommends that people aged 65 and over get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night (adults aged 26 to 64: between seven and nine). These are general ranges for guidance, not an exact measure for each person: the consensus itself recognizes individual variation and that sleeping a little more or a little less can be fine for some people.
Insomnia, the most common problem after 60
The US National Institute on Aging (NIA) reminds us that insomnia is the most common sleep problem from age 60 and that it is often linked to health, medications or the changes of aging itself. Its practical advice: go to bed and get up at the same time every day (weekends too), exercise regularly (avoiding the three hours before bedtime), avoid naps in the late afternoon, avoid caffeine in the afternoon and alcohol at night, and keep the bedroom dark, cool and free of screens. If insomnia lasts for weeks, or there is loud snoring or pauses in breathing, the NIA recommends talking to a doctor: sometimes there is sleep apnea or other treatable causes behind it.
Practical ideas to get started
Some practical ideas every family can adapt:
- Ask how they sleep, not just how they are: sleep rarely comes up in conversation unless someone asks.
- Help set a bedtime and a wake-up time, and celebrate it as part of the routine.
- Review afternoon habits together: coffee, long naps, TV on until late.
- Encourage movement during the day: regular exercise helps you sleep better at night (best not within three hours of bedtime).
- Write down the bad nights: if they repeat for weeks, that list helps the doctor.
- If sleep problems persist, talk to their doctor. This article is for information and does not replace professional care.
At Onorato we are building an artificial intelligence companion that talks and listens, and an app for the family. Onorato keeps company; it does not replace anyone.
Sources, consulted on 27 Oct 2026
- National Sleep Foundation (2015), Sleep Time Duration Recommendations
- NIA, Sleep and Older Adults
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