Sleep deprivation may have an influence on how we perform throughout the day. It may have an effect on our cognitive ability and memory.
The amount of sleep you need fluctuates with time. As a senior, you may go to bed sooner than you did when you were younger, but you also wake up earlier.
Aging and sleep problems often coexist. Although you may not need as much sleep as you previously did, seniors still require 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to feel refreshed.
If you’re a senior who struggles to obtain a decent night’s sleep, keep reading for a list of suggestions.
1. First, consider the underlying health issues.
While it is true that many seniors deal with sleep troubles, these concerns may also be a result of other health-related disorders.
Some frequent health issues that induce sleep disorders include:
GERD is an abbreviation for gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Conditions of the lungs or the heart
Osteoarthritis
Urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate or a hyperactive bladder
Anxiety or depression?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are examples of neurodegenerative illnesses.
Examine any drugs that may be causing side effects that are interfering with your sleep patterns.
2. Stop Taking Daytime Naps
Sure, we all like a nice afternoon nap in our chairs. However, these small cat naps might actually keep you awake at night.
Your body only needs a certain amount of sleep. When you nap throughout the day, you make it more difficult for yourself to go to sleep later.
If you find yourself feeling tired throughout the day, consider if you’ve had enough water today.
Instead of remaining in bed when you’re tired, get up and move about. Plan a brief stroll in the afternoons if you know you’re usually drowsy.
If you must snooze, try to keep it to no more than 20 minutes. This keeps you from falling into a deep sleep, which will reduce your sleeping duration later.
3. Maintain a Healthy Diet
A senior’s diet might also have an effect on their sleep.
Caffeine, particularly late in the day, might interfere with your ability to sleep later. Another sleep disruptor is alcohol. While some people feel that drinking would help them sleep, it actually interrupts their sleep routines.
Watch your sugar consumption and keep in mind that sugar is disguised in many meals, including white bread and spaghetti. Higher sugar levels in your body might disrupt your sleep later in the night.
Similarly, a spicy meal might create indigestion, keeping you up late at night.
Do you need to use the restroom often throughout the night? Limit your liquid consumption for an hour or two before going to bed.
Try a light snack like a banana or yogurt before bed, and think about taking vitamins that help you sleep.
4. Engage in Daytime Exercise
Your body produces chemicals when you work out. These compounds aid in getting a good night’s sleep later on. “I don’t get around well, how can I exercise?” you may be wondering.
Even people with limited mobility have several possibilities for movement and exercise.
Swimming and water aerobics are excellent cardiovascular activities that have less of an effect on your joints than other exercises. Get some exercise by playing golf or tennis. Even doing some gardening on a regular basis might help get you moving.
Can’t manage a three-mile stroll any longer? That’s OK; you may still go for many short walks each day.
Many seniors love chair yoga for those who wish to stretch their muscles but have physical limitations.
5. Establish a Sleep Routine
When you have a baby, you teach him or her how to sleep. You may also assist youngsters in preparing for sleep by establishing bedtime rituals.
Sleep patterns are very important for seniors. It’s easy to get behind on your schedule when you have fewer responsibilities.
A sleep schedule is essential for getting the optimum sleep and ensuring that your body understands when to sleep and when to get up. This implies that you go to bed at the same hour every night.
Adjust your bedtime if you feel drowsy sooner than usual. Going to bed at the same time every night signals to your body that it is time to sleep.
Also, get up at the same hour every day.
6. Establish Bedtime Rituals
Before we went to bed, our parents would tell us a tale. We exchanged goodnight kisses and maybe said our nightly prayers.
There’s a reason why parents construct these nighttime rituals with their children. It functions to alert our brain and body that it is time to sleep. As a senior, the same holds true.
Perhaps you take a hot bath before going to bed. You may listen to some soothing music. To relax your body, try some deep breathing techniques.
Put on comfy jammies that allow you to relax. Try drinking a decaf cup of tea or warm milk an hour before bed.
7. Sleep and Sex Only Bedrooms
You (and your brain) must see your bedroom as a location where you sleep and engage intimately.
As a result, in today’s environment, we often relocate the television to the bedroom. You quickly find yourself lying in bed late at night, instead of sleeping, or watching TV.
Setting up a workstation in your bedroom for hobbies or work-related tasks is not recommended.
Consider your bed linens. Do you have trouble sleeping because you’re too hot? You want your room to be cooler, so consider installing a fan. It generates white noise and keeps you cool while you sleep.
Layer your blankets so that you may easily push back some layers if you wish to sleep cooler.
8. Eliminate Late-Night Stimuli
Your brain needs time to shut down and prepare for sleep. It will assist if you avoid overstimulation a few hours before bedtime.
This includes avoiding technology if feasible. While watching a blood-pumping movie may be entertaining, your body will be pumped with adrenaline and will be unable to sleep.
Similarly, avoid using electronic gadgets such as a phone, iPad, or e-reader before going to bed. They all emit blue light, which might have an effect on your brain and hinder it from falling asleep.
9. Deal with Stress in Your Life
Stress occurs to everyone, regardless of age. When a person is nervous or anxious, their brain works overtime, making falling asleep difficult.
When we are worried or anxious, our thoughts work overtime. As a result, you must find a means to deal with the pressures you are experiencing.
Find a buddy with whom you can discuss your concerns. Maintain a journal. Writing ideas down on paper might sometimes help you figure them out in your head.
Deep breathing and gentle stretching will help you get rid of some of your worries.
When you go to bed worried, select a good memory to revisit in your mind and concentrate on the memory rather than your anxieties.
10. Consider Snoring Problems
Snoring may have a significant influence on peaceful sleep, whether you are the snorer or sleep next to someone who snores.
Speak with your doctor if you are a snorer. A sleep study may be ordered by your doctor to determine your degree of sleep apnea. C-pap devices aid in breathing while snoring and may improve sleep quality.
Finding the appropriate pillow may sometimes shift the angle of your head and aid with snoring.
11. Avoid Sleeping Pills
It’s normal to want to use a sleep aid if you’re not sleeping well and are eager for a decent night’s sleep.
While a sleep aid, whether over-the-counter or prescribed, might give some temporary relief, it does not address the underlying causes of insomnia.
The drug may help you sleep one night, but it masks the underlying causes of your sleeplessness.
Sure, you could merely want to get a good night’s sleep. In the long run, you’re better off figuring out why you’re suffering insomnia and addressing those problems rather than masking them with a sleep medication.
Understanding the Relationship Between Aging and Sleep
Our sleep habits and sleep demands alter as we age. However, just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you don’t need a decent night’s sleep.
If you’re dealing with aging and sleep troubles, consider one or more of these suggestions to get the rest you need.