Over 65: Spending less time in bed may increase deep sleep.

Experts report that deep sleep declines with age and that aligning time in bed with actual sleep ability — rather than simply extending time in bed — can improve sleep efficiency and support restorative sleep.

Deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, plays a role in physical restoration, memory consolidation and immune function, and experts report it tends to decline with age. Older adults often spend about 10–15% of the night in deep sleep compared with roughly 15–25% for younger adults. The article describes views from sleep clinicians who say that improving overall sleep efficiency is more effective than simply increasing time in bed. It also summarizes common factors that shape deep sleep, such as circadian rhythms, time spent awake before bed, metabolic health and breathing stability. Key points: - Deep sleep supports muscle repair, growth hormone release, declarative memory consolidation, and immune regulation; the brain’s glymphatic system is more active during this stage and helps clear metabolic waste. - Research and experts quoted in the article note that deep sleep naturally declines with age and that older adults commonly have more fragmented sleep and lower sleep efficiency. - Spending extra time in bed can increase nighttime wakefulness and fragment sleep further, which may weaken the association between bed and sleep and lower sleep efficiency. - Reported strategies linked to better sleep efficiency include aligning time in bed with actual sleep ability, maintaining a consistent wake time, getting morning and midday light exposure, regular aerobic or resistance exercise, and avoiding alcohol in the evening. - Screening for obstructive sleep apnea and consideration of behavioral treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) are reported as important clinical approaches, with CBT-I described as a guideline-recommended first-line treatment for insomnia in older adults. Summary: Improving sleep efficiency rather than simply lengthening time in bed is reported to help preserve slow-wave (deep) sleep, which supports memory, pain relief and immune health. Experts emphasize stabilizing daily rhythms and addressing breathing or sleep disorders as part of clinical care. Assessing and treating underlying sleep problems and using evidence-based behavioral approaches are described as relevant clinical options; undetermined at this time.