Aging may cause some older adults to have many sleepless nights. Difficulty sleeping is a common condition among seniors for various reasons. With not very much to fill the days, they do not get tired as often as they once did, therefore, making sleep harder to come by. Older adults need at least seven to eight hours of restful sleep every night, but sometimes a good night for them is only four to five hours. This can leave your senior loved one tired and irritable in the morning. They cannot get their day started because they are devoid of energy due to not sleeping. home care Philadelphia has some useful info regarding this topic;
Importance of Sleep
Lack of sleep is not only an issue for older adults, people of any age can have insomnia or other sleeping disorders. Seniors are having many changes in the lifestyle that could affect their sleep, and sometimes medications can cause sleepless nights. Not being able to sleep can be surprising to some who have never had any difficulty, and frustrating to others who do not understand why they cannot sleep. There may be some helpful ways to help your senior loved one get into a better habit of sleeping. Trying something different may be beneficial to a good night's sleep. Philadelphia Home Care has compiled a list of things to try for better sleep;Things to Try:
1. To get started on the road to better sleep, go to bed at the same time, and get up in the mornings at the same time each day.2. Make a schedule, and ensure that everything is done before bedtime. Make the schedule a daily routine.
3. Exercise regularly, but do not exercise late in the evening or close to bedtime. Physical activity tends to make cooling down and relaxing difficult when sleep time is near.
4. Many older adults enjoy napping during the day, but if your senior loved one is having sleep issues it is best not to indulge in those early afternoon naps. Try to resist the urge to nap, and the older adult may fall asleep unconditionally at night.
5. Many people like to have a drink, a cigarette, or a cup of caffeine at night, but this is not favorable for good sleep. If a drink is desired, or a cigarette is needed, try to do this no later than early afternoon. Coffee and other drinks containing caffeine should be limited to the morning hours.
6. Older adults who anticipate not sleeping have more difficulty because they can not relax. By learning some relaxing techniques to apply at bedtime. Get into the habit of relaxing yourself at bedtime.
7. Go to bed as soon as you get sleepy. Your senior loved one may get sleepy in the middle of a good television show, and not want to miss the ending, but are very sleepy. Go to sleep at the first sign of sleepiness no matter the night time hour.
8. After lying down for 20 minutes without going to sleep, get up and do something. After a short while, try going back to bed to fall asleep again.
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