Seniors and Sleep: Maintaining Good Sleeping Habits in Victoria, BC

Uncategorized  |  February 11, 2020

Many things gradually change as we age, even the way we sleep. When we reach golden years, our bodies make fewer hormones and chemicals that contribute to quality sleep and some older adults develop sensitivity to environmental factors that affect sleep, including noise or lighting.

Then there are also chronic conditions that can make it difficult to fall sound asleep easily. Some of the most common ones include Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, arthritis, and other conditions that cause chronic pain.

For all these reasons, it is very common for seniors to develop insomnia or some other sleeping disorder. It is estimated that as much as 46% of adults over 65 find it difficult to fall asleep and stay fast asleep throughout the night.

On the other hand, some seniors may fall asleep earlier in the evening and then wake up in the middle of the night. A lack of sleep can have a rather negative impact on the overall quality of life and even cause memory problems or increased risk of falling.

Additional issues that may stem from inadequate sleep include:

• Irritability, stress, problems with concentration, as well as frequent mood swings
• Headache, body ache, feeling sore and weak
• Diminished immune system

If your senior Mom or Dad is not sleeping well and getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is recommended for their age group, you might want to encourage them to try out these simple routines to ensure a good night’s rest:

• Create a sleep schedule: Try going to bed and getting up at approximately the same time every day.
• Avoid eating certain foods later in the day: Alcohol, spicy foods, coffee, sodas, and sweets can cause sleep issues, so it is much better to skip them in the evening.
• Develop a relaxing routine before bedtime: Taking a warm bath, meditating, or reading a book can help get you in sleeping mode much faster and sleep well throughout the night.

Comfort Keepers Can Help

At Comfort Keepers, our trained care professionals can provide a plethora of customized in-home services and help your loved one get the assistance they need to remain living comfortably at home in their preferred lifestyle. This means our dedicated caregivers can help improve their sleeping routine too. We can support physician-prescribed diet and exercise plans, assist with increased physical activity during the day, provide transportation to scheduled appointments, and much more.

Get in touch with our Victoria office today at 778-402-2175 to learn more about how we can help. Comfort Keepers is looking forward to hearing from you!

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