If somnolence (also known as sleepiness) is what eludes you, then it’s time to start taking the problem more seriously.

Sleep issues often can be underdiagnosed because people think it’s just part of getting older, and they don’t raise their concerns with a doctor. That’s the word from a local sleep expert who’s made a career out of helping people fall — and stay asleep.

THE AGE FACTOR

“Don’t give up hope,” says Dr. Dennis Auckley, Director of MetroHealth’s Center for Sleep Medicine and associate professor of sleep medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

He cautions those suffering from sleep challenges to distinguish between the many causes of disruption, some of which are natural.

“Sleep architecture changes with age,” he says. “A person may sleep the same amount as in the past but they’re in a lighter stage when they aren’t dreaming and can be awakened easily, leading to the perception that they are not sleeping as well. It’s just normal physiology.”

Sleeping is an activity that consumes one third of our lives. It’s hard to ignore the role it plays, so disruption to it requires serious consideration.

SLEEPLESSNESS CAUSES

Two common causes of sleep disruption include apnea and menopause symptoms of hot flashes and hormone imbalance. Up to 18 percent of people 55 -70 suffer from apnea, and among those, three to five percent require therapy.

Snoring, a byproduct of apnea or its own issue, eventually becomes widespread as people get older. By age 50, 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women snore. By age 60, 55 percent of people snore, Dr. Kingman Strohl, Director of Sleep Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University says.

The most common treatments for both apnea and snoring include weight loss, oral appliances, a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device, increasing fitness levels and positional therapy such as sleeping on your side.