We spoke to people aged 65 and over about going to the doctor or chemist for help with sleep. Though some told us they had visited a doctor for extreme sleep problems, most of the people said that they haven’t talked to a doctor or chemist about their sleep. This could be for several reasons:
- They didn’t think anything could be done
- They had more important health issues to discuss with the doctor
- The impact of poor sleep was not bad enough for them to act on.
- They didn’t want to take sleeping pills.
Talking to the doctor about poor sleep
When people did speak to their doctor about their poor sleep, it was usually when they were there for some other reason. They said they may mention their problems sleeping to the doctor in passing. Very few visited the doctor purely to ask for help with their sleep either because they believed the doctor would prescribe them sleeping tablets, which they didn’t want to take, or that their doctor would refuse to prescribe them tablets, and it would therefore be a waste of time going.
Mike did mention his poor sleep to his doctor whilst he was attending an appointment during a check up, but didn't feel it important enough to pursue.
Mike did mention his poor sleep to his doctor whilst he was attending an appointment during a check up, but didn't feel it important enough to pursue.
Age at interview: 66
Sex: Male
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So you’ve never been to the doctor about your sleep?
I haven’t.
Has it ever come up in the context of any other health issues?
I don’t think so. I certainly don’t remember. I mean I went into the surgery a couple of years ago and had this MOT business and I probably mentioned in passing that I didn’t sleep particularly well. But I don’t think anybody. Because it didn’t seem important to me I don’t think anybody’s ever flagged it up as important. So I’m sure I have certainly never been to a doctor and said ‘look I’m sleeping terribly badly’. Whether, I mean I haven’t been to a doctor desperately often anyway, but if I had and there’s probably been a couple of occasions and I can’t think from where perhaps I have had something else and I might have said well I’m not sleeping very well. But it’s never been an issue.
There were, however, a few people who saw their doctor about sleep. They did this because of a severe sleeping problem, such as sleep apnoea ( where breathing stops and starts during sleep), or to help with difficult situations such as stress and bereavement.
For these special circumstances their doctor usually prescribed sleeping tablets to be taken for a short period of time. Some people did take the sleeping tablets. Anne’s doctor suggested she changed the times she took some of her current medication and that seemed to help her sleep better.
Daniel did go to the doctor about his snoring and he was diagnosed with sleep apnoea. He was given a CPAP machine, but didn't get on with it.
Daniel did go to the doctor about his snoring and he was diagnosed with sleep apnoea. He was given a CPAP machine, but didn't get on with it.
Age at interview: 78
Sex: Male
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Can you take me back to, you mentioned about this diagnosis of sleep apnoea, could you take me back to that and tell me how that came about, what sort of led up to you seeking help for it and how that happened?
A good question. Very difficult now in 2008 to remember. All I can think of was the snoring that I must have gone to my GP and the GP referred me to the unit in the local hospital, because they did this research into sleep apnoea, and therefore I was taken on board there and I spent two separate nights, they did one sleep study and then because of the results of that whatever they were, they said we want you to come back and do another one, which I did and that was difficult because I had a camera like this focused on me like that and I found it was hard to get to sleep. I was too aware of it, but whatever, they said I had sleep apnoea and gave me this sleep apnoea machine and as I say it was too much to cope with.
How long did you have it for?
Well I only coped with it for a few weeks really.
Did you have anybody sort of advise you mid-term what they do now, is they go back to you and say how are you getting on, they try and help you get through?
The thing that spoilt it if you like, was when that was diagnosed, because I was on their books as it were, by this time you see we had moved south, so that it split, it cut me off from them, because you know, once they’d made this diagnosis and I’d had this machine and I couldn’t cope with it, I suppose really it was my fault, I could have gone back and said look I’m not coping and can you help me. But I didn’t do that. So there is no responsibility on the hospital.
Right, okay.
You know, for the fact that it just didn’t work for me.
Why older people might not talk to a doctor about poor sleep
Many of the people we talked to believed that they slept poorly because of their age, so there was nothing that could be done about it.
Some had health problems, such as arthritis, diabetes or heart disease, so had to visit their GP on a regular basis and were prescribed a range of medications. Problems sleeping were seen as less important. Because of this, they didn’t feel they should bother the doctor with disturbed sleep.
In fact, most people said that their sleep would need to be considerably worse for them to go to their doctor for help. In most cases, people felt the trigger for them to go to the doctor about their sleep would be if they weren’t able to do all the things they needed to do during the day.
Many people were very keen to keep busy and active during the day, not only doing household chores and gardening, but also maintaining an active social life. Their main concern was that if they slept very badly at night, or started needing to take naps during the day, that this would interfere with all their plans for the day, and on that basis they might go and see their doctor specifically for help with sleep.
Several retired people said they would be more likely to see a doctor about their sleep if they were still working, but now they were retired there was less pressure to get up at a certain time.
Peter would only go to his doctor about problems sleeping if he wasn't able to do all the things he needed to during the day.
Peter would only go to his doctor about problems sleeping if he wasn't able to do all the things he needed to during the day.
Age at interview: 66
Sex: Male
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How bad will it have to be for you to go to the doctor and say I need help now?
Peter' I don’t know.
Is it more about the length of time or the disturbance?
Peter' I think it would be a case that I wasn’t coping in the day.
Right. Okay.
Peter' Coping with what I wanted to do in the day. Wasn’t able to drive or walk somewhere I needed to go. Wasn’t able to study. I started to read and I fell asleep too often.
Then that would be your trigger say for going to the doctor.
Peter' Yes. I think so. You know, if I am not doing what I want to do. I am not able to generally cope I think that would be the trigger. Not the sleep itself. I don’t see why a lot of elderly people complain about not sleeping at night. If they are getting enough sleep and able to cope I don’t see the problem. Your Dad used to complain didn’t he and I thought what is he doing, what's the bother? He can doze in the day, just doze in the day, why bother about sleeping at night?
Heather' It wasn’t stopping him doing anything he wants.
Fred would have been more likely to go to the doctor if he had very bad sleep when he had to get up to go to work every day.
Fred would have been more likely to go to the doctor if he had very bad sleep when he had to get up to go to work every day.
Age at interview: 67
Sex: Male
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And do you think it is something you might do in the future. Would you go to the doctor? How bad would your sleep have to be?
I think it would have to be really bad because as I have said before, I mean I do occasionally get the good night’s sleep as well and I can quite easily put up with the inconvenience if you like of the bad night, purely and simply because of the situation we are in now, where it doesn’t really matter, from the point of view of having to be anywhere or going to work. It probably does matter from your point of view, saying I should be getting proper sleep, but from my personal point of view it isn’t a great problem. It is a nuisance. Obviously. But obviously it would be a completely different situation if I was still having to go to work I would probably pursue it more then. If I were in a working situation.
Seeing a chemist about poor sleep
There was also a view that because poor sleep was linked to their age, it was not an ‘illness’. This meant people thought it was not something they should see their doctor about. They either ignore their disturbed sleep or go to the chemist instead. Others would prefer not to go to the doctor for any reason if they could help it.
Mary doesn't see poor sleep as an illness so she would only see her doctor for problems sleeping during difficult times, such as bereavement.
Mary doesn't see poor sleep as an illness so she would only see her doctor for problems sleeping during difficult times, such as bereavement.
Age at interview: 72
Sex: Female
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Do you ever see a point when you sleep deteriorates that you might have to do something about it. I mean how bad would it have to be for you to go to the doctors and say I am really not sleeping well?
It would have to be quite bad. I don’t think I would go to the doctor about it. I don’t regard it as an illness or a problem. It is annoying not to sleep. Because one feels one ought to be sleeping because it is a waste of time really just lying there not sleeping, but no – well I would have to be quite bad. Well I mean, I think I do envisage a time, if I was bereaved, if I lost my husband. I would want sleeping tablets. I think I wouldn’t sleep. I know I wouldn’t sleep then.
Val avoids going to the doctor or taking medication for any reason, and would have to be very ill to do so.
Val avoids going to the doctor or taking medication for any reason, and would have to be very ill to do so.
Age at interview: 65
Sex: Female
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Have you been to the doctor about it?
No.
Why is that. Do you mind me asking?
For me to go to a doctor I have to be dying. I don’t believe in taking medication, tablets. I am very stubborn. I come from a long line of very healthy and lucky people. My parents, my granddad, my uncles, great uncles all lived [a long time]. My two great uncles never had a doctor.
Views were mixed on the idea of going to the chemist for help with their sleep. Peter said he would go to his GP rather than the chemist. Others felt they would rather try a remedy from the chemist than bother their doctor with sleeping problems.
Those already taking a lot of prescribed medicines said it was a concern that over-the-counter medicine from the chemist could cause bad reactions with their other medication.
Daniel would not go to the chemist for help with his sleeping as he is concerned that anything from over the counter might interact with his existing medication.
Daniel would not go to the chemist for help with his sleeping as he is concerned that anything from over the counter might interact with his existing medication.
Age at interview: 78
Sex: Male
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Have you thought about getting anything over the counter or seeing a pharmacist to say I’m having real difficulty sleeping can you recommend something, or bought anything at a chemist?
I wouldn’t because I’m on a certain level of medication, but I’ve been told once or twice by the GP that for instance there are certain painkillers I mustn’t take because I’m on Warfarin and also I’m on other tablets as well for my heart and that. And therefore I’ve been told I have to be very careful with that. So no, I’d have to go to my GP.
Robert's first place to go for help with sleep would be his doctor, not the chemist, because he feels they know more about him and his health.
Robert's first place to go for help with sleep would be his doctor, not the chemist, because he feels they know more about him and his health.
Age at interview: 77
Sex: Male
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I would always go to the doctor yes. And after that I would, for example I ran of Citaloprams and I could fax it through to the dispensary and then send a note to the pharmacy well I knew I would be without for a couple of days because it takes a couple of day, so I see him and he will give me the stuff on the promise that is coming through. And in the case of Citalopram it probably didn’t matter, but in the case of some other it might. But I am on a good basis with them, but I have to be very careful, it’s not on the basis of being a hypochondriac. Be cautiously aware when you are 77 years old, it’s all plus. I mean it is like the noises of an old car isn’t it. You have hardly any noises in a new car, but when you hear a new rattle coming in you wonder what the hell it is. And you can more often than not, perhaps, stop it then and there.
Last reviewed November 2020.
Last updated November 2020.
Next review November 2023.
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