How do sleeping patterns change in older adults?

Although sleep requirements may not differ between young and middle-aged adults, older adults tend to have a more difficulty getting their required amount of sleep.^[1] Some studies have suggested that, rather than being an intrinsic part of the aging process, sleep deficiencies may be secondary to other illnesses in older people.^[2] Regardless of the cause, both short and long sleep durations have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.^[3] Some researchers have speculated that negative health-associations with long sleep duration may be due to decreased sleep quality due to sleep fragmentation.^[3]