Does your elderly loved one have insomnia? If so, this could be causing many issues in their life. It may be causing them to become irritable, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, and experience worsened health issues. The good news is that you might be able to help your elderly loved one to manage or even treat their insomnia.
Having a Regular Sleep Schedule
One of the best ways to manage or treat insomnia is to develop and stick to a regular sleep schedule. By making sure that your elderly loved one goes to bed and gets up at the same time each day, they can get their body into the habit of sleeping better. The regular sleep schedule will help to reset their biological clock. If your elderly loved one has a senior care provider that takes care of them at night, the provider can remind them to get in bed and wake up at those specific times.
No Napping
Does your elderly loved one take naps in the daytime? If so, this could be throwing off their sleep schedule at night and causing them to have insomnia. If that is the case, they should try not to take any naps for one week to see if they can get back into regular sleep patterns at nighttime. If they absolutely feel the need to take a nap, make sure it is earlier in the day and only for about 30 minutes.
Stop Eating Later in the Evening
How late does your elderly loved one eat? Are they often eating their dinner at 8 or 9 p.m.? Do they get a snack at 9 to 11 p.m.? If they are eating later in the evening or into the night, this could be causing them to have insomnia. This is especially true if they are eating spicy or fatty foods late in the day. These can disrupt the digestive system and make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Get Regular Exercise
If your elderly loved one suffers from insomnia, it is important that they start getting regular exercise. Exercising helps to tire the body out, allowing the person to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer at night. Even 30 minutes of physical activity every day can help to manage or treat your elderly loved one’s insomnia. If you can’t be there to motivate your elderly loved one to exercise, you can have a senior care provider help with this.
These are some of the many tips that can help to manage or treat your elderly loved one’s insomnia. Start helping your elderly loved one implement these tips right away.
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Sources
Sleepfoundation.org
Verywellhealth.com
Helpguide.org