The importance of sleep for your overall health cannot be understated. However, just how many hours of sleep a person needs every day varies depending on his or her age, gender, genetics, activity level and other health factors. Sleep directly impacts your mental and physical health in significant ways. Sleep deprivation can generate mild symptoms such as tiredness, trouble concentrating or irritability, but over time, it can result in more significant health conditions such as mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke and various mental illnesses. 

Nobody ever said aging was fun. That's because it's not. As you get older you may start to realize your body isn't as limber and agile as it once was, and it also has a knack for constantly reminding you of this fact. The further up there you get in years, the more people in their 20s start looking like children. But, someone once said age is just a number.

The term “anti-aging” may conjure up images of expensive wrinkle creams and nutritional supplements, but one of the most impactful ways to keep your mind and body young doesn’t cost a cent: Research suggests that a solid night’s sleep can go a long way to staving off the mental effects of getting older.

We here at Alaska Sleep Clinic are honored we were asked to contribute to AGE UK Mobility's recent article on how sleep affects people of different ages.