Aging and Sleep: 11 Sleeping Tips for Older Adults
Failing to get a good
night’s sleep can impact how we function during the day. It can impact our
cognitive abilities and memory.
The sleep you need
also changes over time. As a senior, this might mean that you go to bed much
earlier than you did at a younger age but you also get up earlier too.
Aging and sleep issues often go hand in hand. You may not need
as much sleep as you once did, but seniors still need 7 to 8 hours of
sleep a night to feel rested.
If you’re a senior
struggling to get a good night’s sleep, read on for a list of tips to help you
get the sleep you need.
1. Consider Underlying Health Issues First
While it’s true that
many seniors struggle with sleep issues, there are times when these issues are
a secondary side effect of other health-related conditions.
Some health problems
that commonly cause sleep problems include:
·
Gastroesophageal
reflux disease
·
Lung or heart conditions
·
Osteoarthritis
·
Urinary issues from an
enlarged prostate or overactive bladder
·
Depression or anxiety
·
Neurodegenerative
disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Also, take a close
look at medications that might be creating side effects that are impacting
sleep habits.
2. Get Rid of Daytime Naps
Sure, we all love a
good snooze in our chair late in the afternoon. Yet, these little cat naps can
actually be preventing you from sleeping at night.
Your body only needs
so much sleep. When you take those naps during the day, you are making it
harder for yourself to fall asleep later.
If you feel yourself
getting sleepy during the day, ask yourself if you have had enough water
today.
Instead of staying put
when you feel sleepy, try getting up and moving around a bit. If you know
you’re normally sleepy in the afternoons, plan to take a short walk then.
If you must nap, try hard to limit your nap time to 20 minutes.
This prevents you from getting into a deep sleep that
will take away from your slumber time later.
3. Pay Attention to Your Diet
The diet of a senior
can also impact their sleep.
Caffeine, especially
late in the day, can affect your ability to sleep later. Alcohol is another
sleep busting culprit. While some believe alcohol might help them go to sleep,
it actually disrupts sleep rhythms.
Watch sugar intake and
remember that sugar is hidden in many foods like white bread and pasta. The
higher levels of sugar in your body can interrupt your sleep later in the
night.
Likewise, a meal of
spicy foods can cause indigestion that keeps you awake late at night.
Do you wake up many
times during the night needing to go to the bathroom? Try limiting your liquid
intake for an hour or two before bed.
Before bed try a light snack like a banana or yogurt and
consider taking vitamins that help you
sleep.
4. Get Daytime Exercise
When you exercise,
your body will release chemicals. These chemicals help you get a restful
night’s sleep later. You might be thinking, “I don’t get around well, how can I
exercise?”
There are many options
for movement and exercise, even for those who have some mobility issues.
Swimming and water
aerobics are great aerobic exercises that don’t have the impact on your joints
than some other exercises might. Take up golf or tennis to get moving.
Even doing some daily gardening helps to get you moving.
Can’t go for a
three-mile walk anymore? That’s okay, you can still do several small walks each
day.
For those that want to stretch their muscles but have more
limits, many seniors are enjoying chair yoga.
5. Work on a Sleep Routine
When you have an
infant, you teach them about how to go to sleep. With children, you also
establish bedtime routines that help them prepare to go to sleep.
As a senior, you need
sleep routines too. When you have fewer commitments, it’s easy to get off on
your schedule.
To get the best sleep
and to make sure your body knows when to sleep and when to wake up, you need to
stick to a sleep routine. This means you go to bed at the same time each
night.
If you feel sleepy
earlier than you used to, then adjust your bedtime. Going to bed at the same
time each night helps your body know it’s time to sleep.
Also, get up at the
same time each morning.
6. Create Bedtime Rituals
When we were little
our parents would read us a story before bed. We got a kiss goodnight and maybe
said our bedtime prayers.
There’s a reason
parents universally create these bedtime rituals with kids. It works to tell
our brain and body it’s time to sleep. The same is true as a senior.
Maybe you take a hot
bath before bed. You could play some relaxing music. Practice some deep
breathing exercises to calm your body.
Put on comfortable
pajamas that make you relax. An hour before bed, try even having a decaf
cup of tea or warm milk.
7. Bedrooms for Sleep and Sex Only
You (and your brain)
need to view your bedroom as the place where you sleep and have intimate
interactions.
So, often in today’s
world, we move the TV into the bedroom. Pretty soon, you’re laying in bed
watching TV late into the night, instead of sleeping.
Avoid setting up a
desk in your bedroom for hobbies or work-related activities.
Think about your bed
coverings. Do you wake up too hot in the night? You want your room to be
cooler, so maybe think about a fan. It creates white noise and helps to keep
you cool while you sleep.
Layer your bedding so
it’s easy to push back some layers if you want to be cooler while you sleep.
8. Get Rid of Late Night Stimuli
Your brain needs time
to shut down and get ready for sleep. It will help this to happen when you
avoid overstimulation a few hours before bed.
This means avoiding
electronics if at all possible. Watching the blood pumping movie might be
interesting but your body is then filled with adrenaline and not ready for
sleep.
Likewise, try to avoid using your electronic devices like a
phone, iPad, or e-reader before bed. They all have blue light that
can impact your brain and prevent it from settling down for sleep.
9. Address the Stress in Your Life
No matter your age,
stress happens. When a person is feeling stressed and anxious, their brain
works overtime, and falling asleep can feel impossible.
When we worry or feel
anxiety, our minds work overtime. So, you need to find a way to address the
stressors you feel.
Find a friend to talk
through your worries with. Keep a journal. Sometimes just writing them down on
paper helps work them out in your mind.
Practice deep
breathing and soft stretching to release some of the anxiety from your body.
When you go to bed
feeling stressed, choose a happy memory to relive inside your head and focus on
the memory instead of the worries.
10. Consider Snoring Issues
Whether you are the
snorer or you sleep next to someone who snores, you know it can greatly impact
restful sleep.
If you are the snorer,
talk to your doctor. The doctor can order a sleep study to evaluate your level
of sleep apnea. C-pap machines help with breathing while snoring and can change
the quality of your sleep.
Sometimes just finding
the right pillow can change the angle of your head and help with snoring.
11. Avoid Using Sleep Aids
If you’re not sleeping
well and are feeling desperate for a good night’s sleep, it’s understandable to
want to take a sleep aid.
A sleep aid, whether
over the counter or prescription, can provide some temporary relief, it doesn’t
address the issues related to insomnia.
The pill might help
you sleep one night, yet it is masking the reasons for your
insomnia.
Sure, you might
just want a decent night’s sleep. In the long run, you’re better off trying to
figure out why you are having insomnia and address those issues instead of
covering them up with a sleep aid.
Understanding the Impacts of Aging and Sleep
As we age our sleep
patterns change and our sleep needs change. But just because you are aging
doesn’t mean you don’t need a good night’s sleep.
If you’re struggling
with aging and sleep-related issues, try one or more of these tips to get
you the good night’s sleep you deserve.