No matter what your age, getting the proper amount of sleep remains essential to your physical health and emotional well-being. Particular lifestyle changes can help seniors regain the restorative sleep they need for lifelong wellness.

What are typical sleep problems in the elderly?

Age alone does not cause sleep problems during senior years. Instead, conditions such as untreated sleep disorders, medications, medical problems, and pain can accumulate to cause sleep problems. Sleep problems frequently reported by older adults include:

• A desire to go to bed earlier
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Frequent waking during the night, and lighter sleep
• Waking up early and not feeling rested
• Being tired in the daytime

What are the common causes of sleep problems for seniors?

Several factors may contribute to the inability to sleep well for seniors.

• Poor sleep hygiene - Poor sleep habits such as irregular sleep hours, consumption of alcohol before bedtime, and daytime napping can disrupt sleep.
• Pain or medical illness - A frequent need to urinate, arthritis, asthma, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, nighttime heartburn, and Alzheimer’s can interrupt a good night’s sleep.
• Medications - Seniors often take more medications younger people. Combinations of drugs, as well as the side-effects of individual drugs, can impair sleep or even stimulate wakefulness.
• Sedentary tendencies - Lack of exercise can keep seniors from feeling sleepy, or make them feel sleepy all of the time.
• Psychological distress or disorders – Significant life changes like the death of a loved one or moving from a family home can cause stress and sleeplessness.

What are solutions to senior sleep problems?

Getting older doesn’t have to mean that seniors can’t get the sleep they need. You can take action to help a senior in your life solve their sleep problems.

• Their sleep environment or sleep habits need a tune-up. Seniors should get at least two hours of bright sunlight each day, to keep their sleep-wake cycles regular. If their sleep partner snores, recommend ear plugs or a white-noise machine.
• Physical pain or medical illness keeps them awake. A doctor should be able to help with the medical symptoms that interfere with their sleep. The solution can be as simple as a different medication or dosage at night.
• They lead a sedentary existence. Seniors should slowly build more activity into their daily schedule. A simple daily walk can do wonders for sleep regularity.

What are some safety tips for senior sleep?

When you think about senior sleep, you may not automatically consider the safety of the elderly person who is asleep. But sleeping seniors require some special precautions. Limited hearing and mobility can pose problems for seniors in the middle of the night. Most seniors take off their hearing aids while they sleep. And aging bodies cannot move as quickly or as nimbly as when younger. An older person can sleep more safely by taking some simple steps:

Hearing-related precautions for safer senior sleep

• Smoke alarms – Make sure that smoke alarms are loud enough for the senior to hear in their sleep.
• Telephone – Turn up the ring volume on the phone so the senior can hear it when asleep.
• Alarm clock – Get an alarm clock that is loud enough to rouse the senior.
• Light – Make sure that the reading lamp is easy to turn on and off from the bed and place a flashlight next to the bed.
• Getting to the bathroom at night – Remove area rugs and objects from the path to the bathroom. Install a night light in the path to the bathroom.
• Necessities – Keep essentials close by the bed on a table or chair. Typical needs: glasses, facial tissues, a glass of water, the telephone, a pad of paper and a pen or pencil, emergency phone numbers.
• Bed railing – To get up out of bed, some seniors may need a bed railing at the head of the bed. Consult a medical supply store.

Senior Helpers of Lakeland serves most areas of Polk County and help you or your loved one remain independant at home. Call for our FREE in home assessment today and find out more about our service and how we can help! 863-686-7333