Older Americans are convinced that a good night's sleep is necessary to maintaining their health. A survey by the Gallup Poll found that seventy-two percent of seniors have discussed poor sleep with their doctors. The study also found no clear consensus on the safety of sleep medications such as Ambien and Lunesta - also known as hypnotics. In another study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) titled "The Treatment of Sleep Disorders of Older People", NIH estimates that disturbances of sleep affect more than half of people aged 65 and older. They advise hypnotic medications should not be the mainstay treatment of insomnia as "they are overused and have habit forming potential". Some of their recommendations include exercise, avoidance of alcohol and caffeine, and reduced fluid intake in the evening. Particularly for older people, one possible underlying nutritional cause of insomnia may be a deficiency of certain minerals. James F. Balch, M.D., author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, writes: "A lack of the nutrients calcium and magnesium will cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=65698&nfid=crss
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