Seniors may be more tired than doctors realized

BOSTON - According to a new survey many older adults are walking about bleary-eyed.

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that a significant number of seniors are not getting enough sleep. More than 5,000 subjects between the ages of 65 and 79 were asked about their sleep habits. Thirty percent said they usually got less than seven hours of sleep a night, 18 percent reported frequent insomnia and poor sleep quality, and one in 10 reported daytime fatigue. About 20 percent reported the regular use of sleep aids. But only 10 percent of older adults reported discussing sleep with their healthcare professional despite the adverse effects of poor sleep on overall health and well-being.