How to Sleep Better in Your 60s (and Why It Matters More Than Ever)
No one really warns you, but sleep gets a little… finicky in your 60s. I used to fall asleep the second my head hit the pillow and stay there until morning. Now? I lie awake wondering if I forgot to water a plant I gave away six years ago. Whether I’m waking up too warm, tossing for no good reason, or mentally redecorating the guest room at 3 a.m., I’ve had to get more intentional about how to get better sleep in my 60s. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one navigating this nighttime circus.
Many women in their 50s and 60s find themselves in the same boat, and the truth is, it’s more important than ever that we figure this out. Good sleep isn’t just about feeling rested because it also affects our memory, our mood, and even how we age.
Here’s what I’ve learned about sleeping better in midlife and why I’m making it a priority.
Why Sleep Gets Harder As We Age
The reality is, our bodies change with time, and so does our sleep. Hormones shift during menopause, circadian rhythms adjust, and we don’t spend as much time in the deeper, restorative stages of sleep. It’s not unusual to wake up more frequently, have trouble falling asleep, or feel less refreshed in the morning, even after what used to be a full night’s rest.
Add in things like joint pain, way too many nighttime trips to the bathroom, or the occasional racing mind, and it’s no wonder so many of us are struggling.
The Real Cost of Poor Sleep in Midlife
It’s easy to brush off a few rough nights, but chronic sleep disruption can take a toll. Poor sleep has been linked to:
- Increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure
- Mood swings and heightened anxiety
- Memory and focus issues
- Weight gain and insulin resistance
- Weakened immune function
- Changes in skin texture and elasticity
I’m not sharing this to scare anyone…it’s just a reminder that prioritizing our sleep is a form of self-care, just like eating well or staying active.
How to Sleep Better in Your 60s
1. Your Bedroom Might Need an Update
As our bodies become more sensitive, the environment we sleep in matters more than ever.
- Keep it cool: A room that’s too warm can make sleep impossible, especially if you’re dealing with hot flashes or night sweats. I aim for somewhere around 70°F. In the summertime, I make sure I have AC and a fan available to help me keep the temperature comfortable.
- Bedding counts: Natural fibers like cotton or bamboo breathe better and feel more comfortable against the skin.
- Mattress and pillows: These don’t last forever, and what worked a decade ago may not offer the support you need now. If you’re waking up sore, it might be time for a change.
I shared last week while chatting about posture that I replaced my old pillow with this envy pillow, which supports the curve of my neck. I love it so much I bought the travel size, which I use in our apartment. I also sleep with a small pillow under or between my knees, which helps my hips and lower back feel better in the morning.
2. Build an Evening Routine That Works for You
I’ve come to realize that a bedtime ritual is pretty important. Our bodies respond to gentle cues that it’s time to slow down, and I’ve had to be more intentional about creating those signals.
Here are a few things I do to create a healthy evening routine:
- Switch to softer lighting. I turn off the overhead lights after dinner and rely on lamps to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere that helps my body ease into rest mode.
- Step away from screens. I also try to avoid scrolling on my phone at night because i know it stirs up my thoughts instead of quieting them. Watching the news late in the evening will do the same thing.
- Set the stage for rest. I keep the bedroom as cool as possible, use blackout drapes, and play white noise to block out distractions that might wake me during the night.
- Stick to a gentle bedtime. I try to get in bed early enough to turn out the light by 10, even if I don’t fall asleep right away, it helps anchor my routine. Reading in bed is one of my favorite pastimes.
None of this is fancy, but together, it tells my body it’s time to rest.
Here are a few products I’ve added to my routine that help me get better quality rest:
These Eberjay Cropped modal pajamas are silky smooth and super breathable, and they’ve quickly won the award for my favorite pair of pajamas! I love them so much that I now own them in both cropped and full-length styles. You can find more of my favorite pajama styles in this post.
I’ve started wearing a sleeping mask just in case my eyes aren’t closing all the way when I sleep. I assumed there would be a break-in period to get used to sleeping in this, but I slept right through the night the first time I tried it. It’s also a 100% light-blocking and zero-eye-pressure mask that’s very helpful for the summer when the sun comes up at a nauseatingly early hour. I’m sure I look goofy in this, but I don’t give a hoot because it helps me sleep better and keeps my eyes from drying out. Here’s what else I do for my chronic dry eyes.
3. Be Mindful of What You’re Eating and Drinking
Certain foods and habits can have a bigger impact on sleep than we might realize.
- Caffeine: I love my morning tea, but I try to stop by early afternoon and switch to Matcha which never gives me that jittery feeling. If you find yourself craving something warm in the evening, reach for a cup of Chamomile or valerian root tea instead.
- Alcohol: A glass of wine might feel relaxing, but it often disrupts sleep later in the night.
- Late-night snacks: I’ve read that a small protein-rich snack before bed can help avoid blood sugar dips that could wake you in the night. I try not to eat close to bedtime, so I can’t speak to this theory.
None of this means giving up the things you enjoy. It’s about paying attention to how your body responds and adjusting accordingly.
4. A Calm Mind Supports a Calm Body
Midlife brings a lot of mental noise…family, health, finances, aging parents, growing kids. It’s no wonder our minds don’t always want to settle down.
Here are a few things you can do to calm your mind before bedtime:
- Try a quick brain dump. Taking five minutes to journal before bed can help release thoughts and emotions from the day so they don’t keep circling as you’re trying to fall asleep. A gratitude journal is great for this too.
- Use calming techniques. A short meditation, deep breathing, or progressive relaxation can help signal to your body that it’s safe to let go and rest.
- Don’t force it. If I still can’t sleep, I’ll get up and read for a bit rather than lying there frustrated. Sometimes just taking the pressure off is enough to get me drowsy again.
5. Gentle Movement During the Day, Not Late at Night
Movement has become essential for me, not just for physical health but for better sleep. A long walk, a short Pilates session, or an at-home yoga class helps regulate my energy and makes it easier to fall asleep at night.
That said, I’ve learned that if I exercise too close to bedtime, I end up feeling wired instead of sleepy, so I don’t exercise too close to bedtime.
6. Know When to Ask for Help
If you’ve tried all the usual tricks and still can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to dig a little deeper.
Sleep apnea, restless legs, thyroid issues, and chronic pain are just a few of the medical reasons women struggle with sleep in midlife. Talk to your doctor. There are solutions available, and sometimes just knowing what’s going on is a relief in itself.
I struggle with restless legs syndrome, which tends to drive me crazy! It’s funny, or not so funny, but I can still remember my mom complaining about hers. When I’m really struggling, I’ll rub a healthy-sized squeeze of this magnesium body butter on both legs from my knees to the tips of my toes. It smells heavenly, and it seems to help calm down that jumpy, restless leg feeling. I don’t know if it’s the placebo effect that’s helping, and I don’t care…help is help ☺️.
7. Supplements and Natural Sleep Support
I’m not a doctor, but I do know that some gentle options can help when used thoughtfully. A few that have worked for me or others I trust:
- Magnesium: My cardiologist had me start taking this Magnesium Glycinate before bed for my heart health, and I find it also helps me unwind in the evening, especially if my muscles are tight.
- Melatonin: Melatonin levels naturally decrease with age, which may contribute to sleep difficulties in older adults. Melatonin can help improve sleep quality and duration, so I am all over it! It’s widely used to treat sleep issues and is particularly effective for jet lag or sleep problems related to shift work. My husband and I take Pure Encapsulations 3mg of Melatonin every night.
- Valerian: Valerian is a non-habit-forming herb that helps with sleep. My husband takes this tincture, which smells pretty nasty, so I prefer to take one of these Wild Harvest Capsules right before bed. It still smells absolutely revolting but seems to help me sleep, so I just toss it down quickly.
- I also take this Cortisol Manager in the evening because I learned that Ashwagandha supports calm and restful sleep.
- Herbal teas: Chamomile or valerian root tea is a calming way to end the day. Valerian tea is an “acquired” taste, so I stick with the Chamomile and like this one.
Again, always check with your healthcare provider before starting anything new—especially if you’re on any medications.
You can find my full list of supplements and vitamins here.
8. Let Go of “Perfect” Sleep
I have been concerned about my sleep, or lack of sleep, for the last several years and decided to buy an Oura ring to help me pay closer attention to it. I absolutely love my ring! It helps me track my sleep, exercise, and now my glucose levels in conjunction with this Stelo monitor.
Some nights will be better than others. I used to get frustrated when I couldn’t fall asleep right away, but I’ve learned that’s counterproductive. Rest is still valuable, even if it’s not eight uninterrupted hours. If I wake up, I try not to check the time or start counting how little sleep I’ll get. Instead, I focus on getting cozy, breathing deeply, and reminding myself that rest in any form is still restorative.
What are you doing to make sure you get restful, quality sleep? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Using ear plugs has made all the difference for me. They’re made to be cut to fit your ear, so easy to fit. It’s amazing how just the sound of the body moving against the sheets can keep one awake, never mind the snoring! Works like a charm.
Lol so true! I look really silly when I’m sleeping. A big mouth guard, ear plugs and eye mask 🤣 I don’t care though, because the mask and earplugs really help.
I have restless legs and find stretching my calves before bed helps, plus I rub on Biofreeze. My physiotherapist recommended it and it works for me. I also take 500 mg of magnesium.
I wake up several times during the night to pee and my mind is in overdrive . Sleep has become hard. Many mornings I feel tired from the get I would settle for six straight hours of sleep but I haven’t found the fix yet and will not resort to sleep aids. All that to say “I hear you”.
I try to stop drinking water early, but I always have to get up in the night anyway.
Full body stretching does it for me, especially my legs. I also find tapping useful when I remember to do it. Cold room, white noise and a comfy duvet. Prayers of gratitude calm my busy mind.
I’m looking into tapping. Thank you
Good morning Jennifer
I too struggle to stay asleep. Awhile back you recommended CBD gummies. Were they not effective? I was recently at a Rotary party and several people were sharing how helpful certain ones were for them. I am tempted to see if they could help me too.
My Dr had me stop the CBD gummies because it can interact with my prescriptions.
I’ve struggled with sleep my whole life I believe. Now I am taking all the natural supplements you talked about and it really has helped so much. I have arthritis so pain is always worse at night. My meds help somewhat with that. Thanks for all the great suggestions.
So sorry about your arthritis pain. It’s not fun.
One of biggest things that helped my sleep was HRT, I was having massive hot flashes that woke me up. Vaginal Estrogen cream can help with not getting up so many times at night to pee.
Also, I do most of the things you listed. Lots of good advice. A regular bed time really helps.
That vaginal estrogen cream is a great idea!
I hear you loud and clear on this one. I find myself nodding off while watching TV with my husband in the evening. We go to bed, he’s asleep within 15 minutes while I’m laying there wide awake wondering what happened to that sleepiness from 15 minutes ago ?
Ugh…. So frustrating.
Yes! He’s snoring before I’ve turned out my light. So frustrating.
I was experiencing sleep issues, also. Had an appointment with an Alternative doctor, he determined that my adrenal glands were blocked. After treating this condition with a supplement for several weeks, I’m now on a maintenance schedule and sleep soundly for 8 hours.
Please share the supplement. I’ve never heard of blocked adrenals.
Blocked adrenals is perhaps another term for Adrenal fatigue, which is not recognised by Endocrinologists. But, if something works, go for it.
You bet! I’m googling more about it. I prefer to look things up and go in to see my Dr with specific questions for them to address.
Regarding restless legs, I have found that I can eliminate them for the night fairly quickly. I use my Med Massager for about 5 minutes. They aren’t cheap, but they’re so nice!
Looking into that right now!
Good Morning Jennifer. Great article and thanks for all of the info. Do you take valerian, magnesium, melatonin and cortisol, all together every night?
The Cortisol manager does not contain cortisol. It contains ingredients to reduce cortisol levels. I do not swallow them together in one mouthful. I take them all over the course of the early evening.
I take L-Theanine to help me turn off my brain at night. You can buy it at the health food stores and it does come in chewable form as well.
How much do you take? I know my “cortisol manager” contains it but perhaps not enough.
The chewables we have are Weber Naturals called Mental Calmness and 1 tablet is 100 mg. It says you can take up to 2 at a time. The lady in the health food store said she will take 2 tablets 3 times a day when she is really feeling stressed. Helps to relax you during the day as well.
Good to know. Thank you!
It’s a constant struggle. I have tried pretty much everything to little or no avail. My brain just won’t stop sometimes. I refuse to depend on pharmaceuticals regularly. Is 6 1/2 hours the new normal?
I struggled with staying asleep, I have no problem falling asleep but I seem to always wake up between 2 and 3 am and then can’t fall back asleep for an hour or more. I am an early riser alway have like 5 am I’m ready to get up and get going. I just want to sleep through to 5 without waking up. I do have Thyroid problems or better said no Thyroid I had to have mine removed because of cancer years ago. Thanks for sharing your struggles
My husband always gets up around 5 but he also goes to sleep earlier and loves to nap. I can’t nap during the day.
Tapping Solutions has helped me greatly with restless leg syndrome. If interested look for Nick Ortner on you tube to show how tapping works. it is science backed too.
Oh thank you!! I’ll check him out.
Hi Jennifer, these are great tips; I use several of them myself and have found them to be very effective. Heads up, though. Be careful about the ashwagandha. A recent segment on 60 Minutes warned of turmeric, green tea, and ashwagandha supplements causing serious liver damage. Be careful! Jo
Oh no! I’ll check into this. Thanks.
As a fairly active 71 year old, I have had a lot of issues with falling asleep immediately to wake up 2 hours later and be wide awake. I have found using a meditation App (I use Calm) really makes a difference. I use the sleep stories and am never awake to hear the end. They have various readers so I have found the soothing voices that I really like.
So much useful info today.
I also struggle with sleep. Avoiding screen time in late evening or when waking during the night has helped me most. B
Hi, Jennifer. The physical things that have improved my sleep as I’ve gotten older are using my CPAP machine, replacing my pillow before it breaks down completely, and avoiding stimulants like caffeine after I get off work. On the mental/emotional side, if my husband and I watch TV before going to bed, we make sure it’s something lighthearted. I’m the same with my bedtime reading. I keep a few favorite “happily ever after” books on my nightstand for those evenings the TV doesn’t get turned on. My 2 rescue kitties have also included themselves in my end of day routine over the past few months. They know when my bedtime is and take turns to sit with me for a pettings and purrs session before I go into the bedroom, which I find relaxing and provides enough endorphins to get my mind off worrisome thoughts. I hope you have a good day and look forward to reading your next blog post.
Those all sound so smart! Happy Tuesday Christine.
Jennifer, this post really hits home. I can still fall asleep pretty quickly, but it’s the staying asleep that’s the issue. Sometimes if I wake up, I start worrying about things and people from years ago, makes no sense! If my husband stays up later than me, he would wake me up bumping about, flushing the toilet and we have different ideas as to the right comfortable temperature. My doctor suggested Melatonin and I downloaded a sleep app which I use daily to log my hours and it has been a game changer. I use many of the tips. The biggest take home I think was learning not to stress out about a poor night sleep. It also tracks my progress, and it seems that I no longer need 8 hours.
If I drink tea or coffee after 2.00pm I use decaff and use a sleep mask at night.
Which sleep app do you use?
It’s called Insomnia Coach. I read about it when going to an appointment with my husband who is a veteran. It’s for anyone though. I use it daily.
Thanks so much Vanessa
My sleep patterns have changed in my late 50’s and I’ve discovered “Michelle’s Sanctuary” on YouTube, which has been so helpful. She’s written & recorded a huge catalogue of soothing stories for sleep, pain relief, anxiety, waking in the middle of the night etc. The stories I’ve listened to so far begin beautifully but I’ve no idea how they end …… I’m fast asleep by then 🙂 I’ve also tried assorted Solfeggio Frequency tracks on Spotify – worth a bit of research if that’s of interest.
I will check her out. Thank you!