Aging and Sleep : Challenge to Nursing Practices

The aging is normal life process, everybody one day will pass for this step, but what anybody know is that it leads to changes in the quantity and quality of sleep. This process affects more than half of adults, over 65 years old in the United States of America. These changes affect the sleep pattern, the psychological function, immune system, performance, behavioral response, humor and ability to adaptation. This paper was a scholarly review to evaluate the Health Assessment and Physical Examination Health Promotion class during the learned process of the author, who was an international student in North America. This paper aims to explain sleep patterns, discuss the relationship and differences between sleep disorders and sleep deprivation. In addition, reflections were done around the topic, that introduced some strategies to manage sleep will be discusses, as well as the nurse’s role, once this profession is been an important device to development and to improve quality in the American health system.