Proper Home Care Can Lead to Better Sleep for Seniors in the Fresno, CA Area
Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep? You’re not alone. The American Sleep Association reports that 50-70 million adults suffer from a sleep disorder; many of them seniors. Below, we’re going to investigate how you can get a better night’s sleep.
What Happens When You Sleep?
John Hopkins Medicine states that the brain goes through two forms of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly behind closed lids, breathing rates increase, and the body becomes immobilized as muscles turn off. During this stage, the brain and body gain the most energy.
Non-REM sleep consists of four different stages.
- Stage 1: moving from wakefulness into sleep
- Stage 2: body temperature drops, and heart rate slows, signaling sleep
- Stages 3-4: blood pressure drops, breathing slows, muscles relax, and brain waves are active; deepest and most restorative sleep stages.
Insomnia affects many adults over the age of 60. Many factors of life cause insomnia including health, medication, frequent urination and sleep apnea. Illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease can also cause sleep disturbances. Sleep deprivation can cause many health risks for seniors, including cognitive impairment, weakened immunity, greater risk for heart disease, and anxiety.
4 Tips for Better Sleep
If you’d like to get a better night’s sleep, here are some tips that seniors and caregivers (i.e. those who specialize in Alzheimer’s home care or end of life care) can implement into day-to-day life:
- Avoid late-night coffee: Caffeine can stop your body from relaxing. Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon, or switch to decaf at night.
- Avoid long daytime naps: Long periods of daytime sleep confuse your internal clock and negatively affect how you sleep in the nighttime. Stick to a 30-minute power nap if you need a pick-me-up.
- Cool down your bedroom: Hotter temperatures can decrease the quality of your sleep. Keep the temperature at 70 degrees or below.
- Go outside during the daytime: Sun exposure reminds your body that it’s daytime, keeping you awake. If you stay inside all day, your body may be confused as to whether it’s daytime to nighttime.
Sleep can affect many factors of a senior’s health and wellness. If your loved one complains of frequent sleeplessness, mention it to their doctor. There may be medications or medical problems that are affecting your loved one’s sleep. Your doctor can also provide recommendations for other forms of professional home care including personal care, respite care, and end of life care.
Visiting Angels of Fresno offers a wide variety of essential personal home care services that are dedicated to helping seniors across the Fresno community stay at home. These services include personal care, companion care, Alzheimer’s care, and end of life care.
Call Visiting Angels Fresno to learn more about our home care and how we can help your loved one feel safe and comfortable in their own home.