Final answer:
The statement is False; sleep changes occur throughout adulthood and are not confined to after age 60. Sleep patterns gradually decline with age, and by 65, less than 7 hours of sleep is common. Quality of sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep disorders are factors in these changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "The majority of sleep change in adult sleep patterns occurs after the age of 60" is False. Rather than a majority of changes occurring after age 60, adult sleep patterns gradually change over many years. According to a meta-analysis, by the time we are 65 years old, we average fewer than 7 hours of sleep per day. Sleep duration generally decreases as we age, which is a pattern that can be seen in adulthood, rather than a drastic change after 60.
In addition to the quantity of sleep, the quality of sleep may also change with advancing age. Factors contributing to these changes include shifts in the circadian rhythms, the prevalence of sleep disorders, and changes in health status. It's also noteworthy that sleep plays an important role in various physiological processes, including growth hormone secretion, learning, and memory.