How Can Seniors Get a Handle on Sleep Disturbances?

Causes of Sleep Disturbances

Getting to the bottom of what is causing sleep disturbances helps seniors to avoid trying out solutions that aren’t likely to be as helpful as they need. For some seniors, health issues or medication side effects interrupt sleep. Pain, stress, anxiety, big life changes, and making poor choices around caffeine can all have an impact on sleep quality, too.

Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Putting a consistent sleep schedule in place can be way more helpful than many seniors realize. For some, this one change can be enough to help resolve sleep issues. It’s easiest for seniors to start out by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. That helps establish a healthier sleep pattern.

Create a Comfortable Sleeping Environment

If seniors don’t have a comfortable sleeping environment, it’s going to be tough to get quality sleep. Overnight, the room should be dark and quiet. Seniors may also want to do things like put up blackout curtains, use white noise machines, and adjust overnight temperatures. Home care providers can help seniors to assess their sleep environment and make easy changes.

Get Medical Conditions Under Better Control

Seniors with medical issues that affect their ability to sleep well should talk with their doctors about what is going on. Getting these medical conditions under better control can be a crucial aspect of getting better sleep. It’s also a good idea to have a medication review done, in case side effects from medications are contributing to sleep issues. Some medical conditions can only be improved so much, but doctors may have other suggestions that can help seniors to get the sleep that they need in order to improve their health.

Address Sleep Hygiene Issues

Sleep hygiene refers to some of the choices people make around sleep. That means doing things like avoiding caffeine too close to trying to sleep or reducing screen time right before bedtime. Choosing calming activities, like a warm bath, can be part of a good sleep hygiene routine. Keeping a sleep journal can help seniors to start noticing what helps them sleep better and what negatively impacts their sleep quality.

Understanding what’s contributing to sleep issues and then being systematic about resolving those issues can pay off in big results for aging adults. Sometimes this means making some changes that are difficult to implement at first. All of this is a lot easier with the help of senior home care professionals, especially when it comes to changing daily routines. Caregivers are able to offer the support that seniors need in order to make new habits that help to reduce sleep disturbances.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Ellinwood, KS, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas today. Call 620-603-0685.

Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas is a Trusted Home Care Agency Barton, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Great Bend, Hutchinson, Larned, Lyons, Marion, McPherson, Newton, Pawnee, Rice, Reno, Salina, Sedgwick, Stafford, and the surrounding areas.