Five Tips to Focus on Better Sleep for Your Senior

Missing even a little bit of sleep has a big impact on your elderly family member’s brain health and how her body feels. Minor sleep deprivation has even been equated to intoxication. That’s why it’s important to make sure your elderly family member is able to get plenty of sleep and that it actually refreshes her. If sleep is an issue for your elderly family member, read on for some tips about getting to the bottom of why that is happening.

Don’t Believe All Sleep Problems Are Just Because of Age

You might have heard your elderly family member or other aging adults say that sleep issues are just a normal part of aging. But that’s not the case. Sleep problems are something that your aging family member can do something about. It isn’t always easy to figure out exactly what is causing sleep issues, but avoiding the topic definitely won’t help the situation at all.

Start Tracking Meals, Beverages, and Medications

One of the easiest culprits to narrow down is related to meals, beverages, and even medications. Side effects from medications can lead to sleep issues, especially if your senior is taking a new medication. But what and when your elderly family member eats and drinks also matters. In-home care providers can help your aging family member to keep detailed food diaries to help narrow it all down.

Look at Her Sleep Space

Another big culprit is your senior’s sleep space. Is her room comfortable enough for her to sleep easily? What about the temperature overnight? Some people cannot sleep without a fan running. If that’s true for your senior, check out whether adding one helps. Little details can make a big difference in whether she gets the sleep that she needs or not. In-home care providers can help your elderly family member to keep her room tidy, too, which has more to do with getting quality sleep than many people realize.

Focus on How to Set up a Solid Sleep Routine

Sleep is a habit as much as anything else is. What time is your senior getting up and going to bed? If she’s random in her sleep routine, that might make it more difficult for her brain to unwind and actually rest when she wants to sleep. In-home care providers can help your elderly family member to establish and stick to routines throughout the day that keep her sleeping well.

Don’t Ignore Sleep Issues

The bottom line is that if your elderly family member is having any trouble sleeping at all, don’t ignore it. Talk it over with her doctor right away to determine if there are any possible medical causes at work. Ruling those out is going to be the key to ensuring that your senior’s health doesn’t suffer from the sleep she’s missing out on.

It’s worth it to figure out what is keeping your senior from getting quality sleep. Her entire quality of life improves when her body and brain are getting the rest that they need.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/when-older-folks-cant-sleep

If you are considering in-home care in Park Slope, NY, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of NYC today at 212-201-6139.