How to Get a Good Night's Sleep as a Senior

Why is Sleep so Critical for Your Loved One?
No matter your age, you should aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night. If you notice your senior isn’t sleeping regularly, it may be time to hire senior home care to help them stick with a routine. Moreover, they must go to the doctor to find the reason if that doesn’t work. Here are a few reasons sleep is important for your elderly loved one.

• Sleep is a Mood Booster – Sleep affects mental health. Lack of sleep can lead to mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, which can worsen sleep quality.
• Enough Sleep Lowers Risk of Disease – During sleep, our bodies conduct restorative processes, including muscle development, protein synthesis, and tissue repair. Sleep deprivation raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
• It Supports Senior’s Metabolism – Sleep helps you maintain a healthy weight and metabolism.
• Sleep modulates appetite-stimulating ghrelin. Sleep deprivation decreases your metabolism, causing weight gain.
• Helps With Memory – Good sleep keeps your brain and memory healthy. Sleep deprivation affects attention and short-term memory, and impairs decision-making and memory.
  Sleep Clears Harmful Toxins – Our minds don’t slow down when we sleep. The glymphatic system clears dangerous pollutants and debris from our brains.

If your senior is not sleeping, it may be due to several factors. For instance, they may be drinking caffeine or eating something that will keep them up. Senior home care can help your senior stay on a regular bedtime routine or evening routine that will allow them to get a better night’s sleep.

Tips To Help Your Senior Sleep Better
As we age, our sleep-wake cycle and behaviors change. Most seniors can’t sleep because of this. Some wake up at midnight and can’t go back to sleep. But, here are some tips senior home care can give seniors.

No Afternoon Napping
Most elderly people have trouble sleeping at night. Therefore, many of them will take a nap during the day to feel energized again. However, daytime naps could exacerbate nighttime insomnia. Why? Simply said, your body may not need any more sleep if you already feel rested.

Make The Bedroom for Sleep Only
It’s normal for individuals to multitask in the bedroom, doing things like working, reading, or watching TV. But they may prevent you from getting restful sleep. If you want a decent night’s sleep, you should treat your bedroom as if it were a hospital ward. That rules out activities like reading, watching TV, and lounging in the bedroom.

Create a Bedtime Routine
Most individuals have regular mealtime. You’ve taught your body to respond in this way. You should apply the same thinking to your nightly sleep habits. Seniors should be encouraged to go to bed at the same time every day.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Senior Home Care in Louisville, CO, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home today at 303-255-4071.