The elderly needs to get as much rest as possible. It’s a worry then if they start having problems with sleeping.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) older adults with sleep problems have a higher risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“As we get older, the amount of nightly sleep that we need remains the same as that of what we needed when we were younger. However the ability to get the sleep that we need does change. Older people have a hard time getting the sleep they need because of the interference of medical illness, the medications they take for those illnesses, and changes in their biological clock,” Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
Here are some tips on getting a good night’s sleep:
- Establish a routine sleep schedule.
- Avoid using the bed for activities other than sleep or intimacy.
- Avoid substances that disturb sleep, such as caffeine and alcohol.
- Avoid napping during the day.
- If you have to nap, limit it to less than one hour and do it no later than 3 p.m.
- Develop pre-sleep rituals that help you relax, such as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.
- Leave worries behind.
- Bedtime is a time to relax, not replay the stresses of the day.
- Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and a little cool.
- If you can’t fall asleep, leave the bedroom and do a quiet activity. Go back to bed only when you’re tired.