6 Factors That Keep Older Adults From Getting Enough Sleep

Every adult should aim for seven or eight hours of sleep each night. While that’s the recommended goal, few adults get that much. You and your senior’s caregivers should know these six factors that are some of the most common reasons older adults are not getting enough sleep.

Caregivers in East Quogue NY: Sleep Tips

Too Many Naps

Napping all afternoon refreshes the body. If your parent has taken a long nap, it’s going to impact sleep at night. Get your parents from napping by planning activities to keep them busy. Take a long walk after lunch instead of sitting down to a favorite TV show. Play hobbies and games at times your parents usually get sleepy.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes your breathing cycle to stop and suddenly start again. It’s usually caused by the muscles in the throat relaxing when sleeping. The slack muscles block the airway. Loud snoring is one sign of sleep apnea.

If sleep apnea could be to blame, contact a doctor. It can be a life-threatening sleep disorder.

Large Meals Late in the Day

Laying down after a large meal can trigger heartburn in some adults. If your mom or dad is susceptible to heartburn, it can make sleep seem impossible. Aim for earlier meals that give the body time to digest some of the food before bedtime.

Health Conditions

Several health conditions can lead to insomnia. Sometimes, it’s a side effect of medications being used to treat the health issue. Other times, it’s the disease itself. Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are one of them. The disease affects the brain, which can affect the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

For medication conditions, more activity in the day may help tire the body out. Otherwise, talk to a doctor for advice. Medication side effects may be hard to resolve if there’s no similar medication. It is worth asking the doctor if there’s a different prescription your mom or dad could try.

Frequent Urination

If your mom or dad are waking up several times a night to go to the bathroom, some things may help. Start by limiting beverages a few hours before bedtime. If your parent is thirsty, a few sips are going to be more helpful than drinking an entire glass of water.

Frequent urination can also be a sign of a UTI. If it’s suspected that might be the case, talk to a doctor ASAP. You don’t want a UTI to spread to the kidneys.

Disruptive Noises

A partner’s loud snoring is one of the more disruptive noises. Traffic noise outside or a neighbor coming home late at night can also disrupt sleep cycles. The best way to counteract those issues is by turning on white noise like a fan, bird songs, or ocean noises.

All six of those factors are leading reasons for too little sleep. They’re also easily avoided by hiring caregivers. Talk to a home care agency and ask about the ways caregivers can make sure meals are earlier in the day and how they help keep older adults busy all day.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Caregivers in East Quogue, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.