The Importance of Quality Sleep for Senior Health and Well-Being in Wheat Ridge, CO and Surrounding Areas

At Visiting Angels, our in-home living assistance services help seniors in Wheat Ridge, Denver, Golden and surrounding areas in Colorado get a good night’s sleep

Getting a good night’s rest is important at any age. While we all know this, as many as 50 to 70 million adults in America suffer from some kind of sleep disorder and many of them are seniors.

At Visiting Angels Denver, our living assistance services have helped seniors throughout the Greater Denver area sleep through the night. We understand the importance of getting enough sleep for seniors and what can cause seniors to lose sleep.

What Happens When We Sleep?

To break it down as simple as possible, when we sleep, our brain cycles back and forth from REM (short for rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep. During the REM phase, our muscles turn off while our eyes start to move rapidly behind closed eyelids, hence the name. It is a stage where dreams occur, especially important for restoring energy to our brain and body.

Non-REM is divided into the following four stages:

Stage 1 – Drifting from wakefulness to sleep
Stage 2 – The onset of sleep
Stage 3 & 4 – Deep sleep

Non-REM sleep has the most restorative properties of sleep and is fairly significant to maintaining our learning capacities and memory.

The recurring interruption of sleep does not allow the body to reach these deeper, restorative phases of sleep.

What Causes Sleeplessness in Seniors?

The tendency to develop sleep disorders increases significantly as we age. According to a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, at least 44 percent of aging adults experience insomnia more than once a week.

Other common reasons for sleeplessness in seniors include impaired health, side effects of medication, frequent urination and sleep apnea. Some aging adults cannot fall asleep easily because of aches caused by chronic conditions such as arthritis, muscular atrophy and heart diseases.

Additionally, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain disorders may also cause sleep disturbances.

What Are the Consequences of Sleep Deprivation for Seniors?

The usual signs of poor sleep, such as crankiness and moodiness, are easily resolved when sleeping patterns return to normal. On the other hand, chronic, ongoing sleep deprivation may affect your senior Mom or Dad’s well-being in a number of different ways.

If your loved one is not getting enough quality sleep, they might be at a higher risk of:

Cognitive issues
Weakened immunity
Heart disease
Obesity
Diabetes
Depression
Anxiety

How Can Living Assistance Services from Visiting Angels Denver Help My Loved One Get Better Sleep?

Certain techniques and habits can help your parent fall asleep much easier. Our living assistance services can help your loved one adopt these habits that can aid them in getting more sleep at night:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time
Avoid drinking coffee and beverages that contain caffeine late in the evening
Spend time outdoors
Take a soothing bath just before bedtime
Refrain from long naps during daytime
Turn off all lights in the bedroom
Cool the bedroom because higher temperatures can disrupt sleep
Avoid watching TV or using smartphone and tablet devices at least one hour prior to bedtime

If your loved one complains about sleeplessness, encourage them to seek advice from their physician. While the problem may be as simple as adjusting their medication schedule or changing their bedtime routines, taking steps to improve their quality of sleep and opting for in-home living assistance services from Visiting Angels Denver might also improve their overall health and quality of life.

If you' like to learn more about how we can help your loved one get the sleep they need, contact our Wheat Ridge, CO office today.

Visiting Angels provides quality in-home living assistance services throughout Arvada, Aurora, Denver, Glendale, Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and the surrounding areas of Colorado.