Helping Your Senior Get Better Sleep: What Can Family Caregivers Do?

Do you have to take care of your elderly loved one? If so, one of the things that you may need to help your elderly loved one with is getting better sleep. Unfortunately, there are many senior citizens who don’t sleep well. Some common sleep issues in the elderly are not being able to fall asleep quickly, waking up multiple times each night, and not being able to sleep at night but being able to sleep during the day.

No matter what sleep issues your elderly loved one is having, there are some tips that you can use to help them get better sleep. If you need help implementing these tips, please don’t hesitate to get assistance from senior home care providers.

Medication Reminders

Senior Home Care in Bellbrook OH
Senior Home Care in Bellbrook OH

If your elderly loved one has seen their doctor for their sleep issues, they may be prescribed medications to help them sleep. The problem is that if your elderly loved one isn’t taking these medications as prescribed, they aren’t going to help much. Many senior citizens forget to take medications. Do your best not to make your elderly loved one feel embarrassed about forgetting. If needed, you or a senior care provider could just give your elderly loved one a little reminder to take the sleep medications.

Hot Shower or Bath

Another tip that might help your elderly loved one to sleep better at night is to have them take a hot shower or bath before they get into bed. The best time for them to do this would be between ½ an hour to 1 hour before bed. That way, they have time to get relaxed after the bath before they climb into their bed. Many senior citizens find hot showers and baths calming.

It may even help if you or a senior home care provider picks essential oils up in town for your elderly loved one. If they put a couple of drops of lavender or another calming essential oil into their bath, it could help promote even better sleep.

Having Noise

It is usually recommended that people sleep without any noise. However, some elderly people find it difficult to fall or stay asleep without listening to something. One of the best options for your elderly loved one might be to turn on some white noise. You or a senior home care provider could find your elderly loved one a white noise app or get them a white noise sound machine.

Conclusion

These are some of the tips that you could use to help your elderly loved one get better sleep. If your elderly loved one still doesn’t sleep well after implementing these tips for a while, you or a senior home care provider should take them to see their doctor.

Source
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep#:~:text=Keep%20your%20bedroom%20at%20a,they%20can%20keep%20you%20awake.

If you are considering senior home care in Bellbrook, OH, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of Dayton today at 937-558-9394.

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