World Sleep Day 2019

World Sleep Day is an annual, worldwide event, designed to increase the awareness of the need for good sleep health and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. Better understanding of sleep conditions and more research into the area of sleep is always at the heart of World Sleep Day.

Ageing and Sleep Health in our society is the message for this year’s World Sleep Day. Healthier ageing and a better understanding of how to sleep better as we age will help to reduce the overall burden of poor health on society.

This year the focus is on raising awareness about how important sleep is to improve and maintain your future physical and mental health and how the amount of sleep we need changes as we age. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours sleep while babies and children need even more sleep for optimal learning and play. This changes again as we reach our sixties.

• Older people need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults.
• Age increases the risk of some sleep disorders.
• Medical conditions that arise with ageing can disrupt sleep.
• Sleeping tablets are best used only for short periods of time.
• Older people often take daytime naps as well as sleeping at night.
• Sleep/wake routines, daytime activity and sunshine all help sleep

Download the Fact Sheet for World Sleep Day here