Five Reasons Seniors Struggle with Sleep

Everybody needs sleep, particularly seniors. But many times, seniors find themselves waking up in the middle of the night, having a tough time sleeping at all, or staying up way too late. Their sleep quality suffers greatly. Understanding why they’re having trouble enables family caregivers to do something about this problem. Senior home care providers can offer support with all of these issues.

Medication Side Effects

One of the biggest issues for aging adults when it comes to sleep can be side effects from medications. So often seniors are battling chronic health issues that necessitate taking medication. But that medication may make it more difficult to get quality sleep. Seniors can talk with their doctors if they suspect medication is at fault here, and there may be changes that can help.

Sedentary Living

When seniors grow older, they tend to become less active overall. This contributes to problems like excess energy, restlessness, and even emotional issues that make sleep more difficult. Becoming even a little more active can help to reduce these problems. Seniors should always talk with their doctors before starting a new exercise plan, just to make sure it’s safe for them to do.

Chronic Health Issues

Seniors are susceptible to so many health issues that can have a significant impact on how well they sleep. Respiratory disorders, heart disease, arthritis, and more can all make sleep complicated for seniors. Working on a daily plan to manage those health issues can help seniors to have the support they need to also rest and sleep better. Home care providers make it easier for seniors to have daily routines in place that support better health and better management of chronic health conditions.

Poor Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is the habits and practices around sleeping. That means having a regular sleep schedule, consistent bedtime routines, and healthy habits in general around sleep. Home care providers can help seniors to assess their sleep hygiene, look at what’s working, and make changes to better meet their needs. Simple tactics like getting up and going to bed at the same time every day can start to make a difference very quickly.

Poor Sleeping Environment

Sleep environment matters, too, and sometimes seniors don’t realize that their sleep environment is working against them getting the rest they need. Variables such as comfortable bedding, reduced noise levels, proper lighting, and even overnight bedroom temperature all make a difference. If even one of these factors is not where it should be, seniors can find it difficult to get to sleep. It’s important to try a few different solutions and see what works.

Addressing the underlying issues when seniors are having trouble sleeping is essential for solving the problem correctly. Senior home care providers can do a lot to help aging adults and family caregivers figure out what’s happening and what solutions might do the most good. Getting better sleep helps to improve daily life and health, so it’s important to be as thorough as possible when figuring out what’s going wrong and turning all of that around quickly and easily.

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Stockton, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.