Whether you’re 8 years old or 80, good sleep is the key to good health. But seniors can sometimes find themselves up all night trying to fall asleep and besides just feeling frustrated, they can also feel sluggish and poorly rested throughout the day.
Seniors Helping Seniors understands the importance of getting plenty of rest and the ways it can impact your quality of life. When we age, we require more out of our sleep because of all the benefits that good rest provides. Sleep helps our bodies heal and stabilizes the immune system, both of which are crucial for seniors who want to navigate the aging process successfully.
So if you or a senior for whom you are providing care is seeking out better sleep at night here are five tips to keep in mind to help fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. We all need about seven to eight hours of sleep and if seniors aren’t getting that much, they could be at risk for developing health issues later on.
1. Fewer Naps
A nap can refresh and give you the energy you need when you’re feeling tired and run down during the day. However, naps can also be affecting your sleep patterns which can be detrimental to your ability to sleep better at night.
So consider how many naps you or your senior are taking throughout the day, it could be the key to getting your rest after hours. Reducing or cutting out naps entirely may be all you need to do for getting better sleep at night.
2. No Caffeine
You can find it in everything these days, from coffee and soda to energy drinks and even chocolate. But have you thought about your caffeine intake on any given day? You may want to become more cognizant of that, as caffeine can be screwing up your sleep patterns.
3. Set Your Alarm
Developing a routine for sleep is a great way to get the body and mind ready to rest and relax when it’s time to sleep. So choose a bedtime and wake up time and stick to them without fail. Maintaining a proper sleep schedule will do a lot of good for getting you the rest you need.
When bedtimes and waking times are all over the place, the body can become confused and you could find it more difficult to drift off to sleep when you lay down to rest for the night.
4. Less Stimulation
When it’s time for bed, make that time exclusive to sleep. Try not to stimulate the mind when you are lying down to go to sleep as that can make it all the much harder to nod off when you want. So avoid the TV, the smartphone, or other light-emitting devices. Put these things aside for tomorrow.
Feel free to read a book or knit before you go to bed as these can relax the mind and the body.
5. Avoid the Stress
You’re lying in bed and you are worrying that you can fall asleep. You keep rolling around and checking the clock. Don’t. You will only make it harder to sleep. Ignore the clock and you will drift off before you know it.
