Which of the following is false regarding sleep for older adults?

• A. Older adults usually require significantly less total sleep than younger adults.
• B. Sleep in older adults is often more fragmented, with more frequent awakenings during the night.
• C. Older adults may have more difficulty falling asleep compared to younger adults.
• D. Older adults typically experience a decrease in deep sleep stages.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the general changes in sleep patterns as people age. Older adults often experience changes in both the quantity and quality of sleep compared to younger adults.
2. Step 2: Review the common characteristics of sleep in older adults, such as increased sleep fragmentation (more frequent awakenings), difficulty falling asleep, and a reduction in deep sleep stages (such as slow-wave sleep).
3. Step 3: Analyze the statement about total sleep requirement. Research shows that while sleep quality changes, the total amount of sleep needed by older adults does not significantly decrease compared to younger adults; rather, their sleep tends to be less efficient.
4. Step 4: Compare each statement to established sleep research findings to identify which one is false. The false statement is the one claiming that older adults require significantly less total sleep than younger adults.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the false statement is the one about significantly reduced total sleep requirement, while the other statements about fragmented sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and decreased deep sleep are true.