Does less sleep equate to old age?

I've been getting less and less sleep the past few months. I don't know whether it's another sign of ageing or just plain stress. You see, my theory is: the older you get, the less sleep you need. Observe your parents or grandparents. They're all usually up by 5:30-6 am, preparing breakfast or doing some house cleaning... And I bet you they don't sleep at 10pm the night before. Sure they go to bed at around ten, but they would still watch TV, read a book or pray the rosary until midnight.

Meanwhile, kids in high school or college can stay asleep until 12 noon during weekends. And once these same kids start getting jobs, they in turn would start waking up earlier. It's a fact: The older you get, the less sleep you need. Hmmm... let me rephrase that... The older you get, the less sleep you get... Because I definitely need more sleep... Just haven't gottent enough of it.