What Does Healthy Sleep Hygiene Look Like for Your Senior?
Fixing your senior’s sleep hygiene might sound complicated, and it can be. But if she takes a look at a few key areas, she may be able to spot what’s interfering with a good night’s sleep.
Having a Sleep Schedule
Most parents know how important a regular sleep schedule is for kids, but adults need a strong sleep schedule, too. Your aging family member might be having more difficulty with sleep issues if she’s got a haphazard sleep schedule. Setting a bedtime and a wakeup time that are consistent is a good first step.
Incorporating the Right Exercise at the Right Time
Exercise, or simply increasing her normal physical activity, can be a huge help if your senior is having sleep issues. Moving more burns off excess energy and helps your senior to be able to rest when she’s ready to go to bed for the night. Always talk to her doctor before planning any changes to her activity levels to make sure that it’s okay.
Having a Solid Daily Routine
Routines work for people. Your senior’s brain and body know what’s “next” on the schedule, and that helps to give her day the flow that she needs to ease into wakefulness in the morning, go about her daily activities, and then ease into sleep at night. If your senior has a random routine, that might be making it more difficult for her body to fully rest and get the sleep she needs.
Avoiding Stimulants and Anything Else that Interrupts Sleep
Lots of different dietary and other substances can interfere with sleep. If your senior smokes, nicotine might be causing her to have sleep trouble. Eating too late in the day means that her body is expending energy on digestion, making sleep more difficult. Too much caffeine, water, or spicy foods late in the day can have a similar impact.
Talking to Her Doctor about Other Possible Solutions
If your elderly family member has ironed out some of the difficulties in her sleep hygiene and is still having trouble sleeping, she should talk to her doctor. There may be other factors at work that her doctor can help her to address.
When your elderly family member is making big changes to how her day flows, she may find it difficult to keep up with everything. Bringing in home care providers to help your senior with the tasks of daily living can help her stay on a regular routine, which leads to better sleep.