Improve Your Sleep Tonight: Four Sleep Tips for Seniors

Chances are if you’re over the age of 60, you’ve had a few experiences with insomnia. According to a study published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the overall prevalence of insomnia symptoms ranged from 30% to 48% in the senior population surveyed. If you’re struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night, you certainly are not alone.

There are many contributing factors to sleep disturbances in the elderly, such as changes in hormones, chronic illness or pain, side effects of medications, even trauma. Other external factors can inhibit sleep, such as falling asleep to the television, drinking too much caffeine, poor sleep environments, or spending too much time in front of a screen. Over time, there have been myths about seniors and sleep. Most seniors believe that poor sleep is just a part of older age. They may even believe that they just don’t need as much sleep as they did when they were younger. However, seniors need anywhere between seven to nine hours of consecutive sleep.

It’s very important for seniors to prioritize their sleep and make adjustments in order to get more quality sleep. Quality sleep leads to better brain health, better physical health, and helps to stabilize one’s mood. Poor sleep or insomnia often leads to fatigue, anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, and contributes to chronic diseases. If you are a senior who is up at all hours throughout the night, here are four tips that can improve your sleep tonight.

Limit Fluid Intake

One reason seniors wake up in the middle of the night is due to nature calling. As we age, our bladder loses holding capacity, meaning we need to empty it more frequently. Seniors also produce less of the anti-diuretic hormone, which enables fluid retention. This causes them to produce more urine at night. One way to combat waking up in the middle of the night is to decrease your fluid intake, especially in the evenings. If you do need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, use motion censored nightlights instead of turning on the bright bathroom light. Bright lights often signal to your body that it’s time to get up, so it’ll take longer to fall back to sleep. While you’re looking at the amount of fluids you consume, be sure to limit caffeine. Even if you’re one who can drink a cup of coffee at night and fall asleep with no trouble, the caffeine in your system can interfere with your sleep cycle throughout the rest of the night.

Evaluate Your Sleep Environment

Another contributing factor to poor sleep is a lack-luster sleep environment. Take a moment to consider where you sleep. Turn off all electronics in your room, especially the television. If you’re prone to fall asleep to the TV, consider purchasing a white noise machine that can replace the noise of the television. Use blackout curtains if there’s a lot of light from outside your window streaming into your room. Silence your cell phone so you’re not awoken by notifications. Use a humidifier if the air seems dry or turn on the ceiling fan if you wake up feeling that the air is stuffy. Consider purchasing a new pillow or even bed linens. You can even diffuse lavender to help keep you asleep through the entire night.

Set a New Bedtime

Many seniors may have noticed that there’s been a shift in their circadian rhythm as they’ve aged. They may become tired and ready for bed earlier in the evening; thus they wake up too early in the morning. If you find yourself nodding off during the evening news, consider varying your bedtime. Avoid napping during the late afternoon or early evening hours. Go for a walk after dinner, do a chore around the home, or turn on more lights so that you stay awake when your body wants to sleep. Then, at a more reasonable hour, begin to wind down for the night. If you continue to nod off early and wake up early, but feel fantastic, then you might need to just make that earlier hour your normal bedtime. As long as you’re getting consistent sleep and not feeling overly fatigued throughout the next day, going to bed early can help some seniors get the sleep they need.

Create a Bedtime Routine

Finally, consider your bedtime routine or create one if you don’t have one. Beyond brushing your teeth and putting on your pajamas, you need to signal to your body that it’s time to rest. A great way to do this is through yoga. There are a variety of yoga poses that promote healthier sleep habits and the best news is that they can be found on the internet. Find what works best for your body or situation and incorporate the poses before heading to bed. Some poses even suggest you practice them while lying in bed.

Another factor to sleep disturbances mentioned briefly above is anxiety. Some seniors have trouble falling asleep or wake up in the middle of the night due to anxious thoughts. They may be anxious to live alone or far from family. They may be anxious about managing everyday tasks that used to seem simple, but now are more challenging. If you are a senior who is losing sleep over everyday tasks, or if you are a family member and are losing sleep over your anxiety about your aging loved one, know that Visiting Angels Punta Gorda is here for you. Our senior home care services can give you all peace of mind and promote healthier sleep starting today. Getting started with us is easy. Simply contact us today by calling 941-347-8288 Punta Gorda or 239-226-1620 Cape Coral.