It’s not uncommon for elderly people to have a hard time sleeping at night and feeling unrested during the day.
Your parent may talk about not being able to stay asleep all night due to restless legs or the need to use the bathroom more frequently. She may also struggle with staying asleep in the morning, or falling asleep at night. Sleep is important at all ages, but especially for the elderly. When the body is asleep, it can perform some restorative work, fight off germs and viruses, and replenish the body with energy and strength.
Luckily, sometimes getting a good night’s sleep can be improved by simply taking some preventative steps while we’re still awake each day. Work with your parent to see if she needs to make any of these adjustments to her daytime schedule so she can sleep better at night.
-Stick to a regular bedtime. An inconsistent sleep pattern causes the body to not know when to start unwinding for the day. While an occasional late-night won’t harm her schedule, if your parent can keep the same bedtime during the week as the weekend, she’ll find going to sleep much easier.
-Create a bedtime routine. By following the same or similar routine each night before bed, it again prepares the brain to turn off for the day. The routine should be a calming routine that doesn’t involve screen time. Reading a book right before bed or drinking a non-caffeinated tea each night are good examples of little routines that don’t take a lot of effort or money.
-Use the bedroom for sleeping only. If your parent has gotten in the habit of watching TV from her bed or looking at her laptop, encourage her to move those activities out of the bedroom. In addition, tell your parent that if she has gone to bed and can’t fall asleep, to physically leave the bed until she can sleep so that her brain begins to recognize the bed is only for sleep.
-Get some exercise during the day. Having her body expend some of its energy during a workout will help make sure her body is ready to sleep at night. Have your parent set up daily exercise times with her elder care provider or on her own, whether it’s a walk around the block or a swim in the pool.
-Also, get some sun during the day. Open the curtains during the day and go outside when the weather permits. Your parent’s caregivers in San Diego can make sure to open the curtains and clean the window glass on her visits to allow as much light as possible for your parent during the day. She can also help in taking your parent outside if even for a short walk, to soak up the much-needed sunshine.
-Avoid alcohol at night. While alcohol can help some people fall asleep, it often creates wakefulness in the middle of the night as the alcohol wears off. One small glass of wine may not have any detrimental effects but much more can cause sleep problems.
Hopefully, with these tips, your parent will start to experience better sleep. If sleep continues to be an issue, make sure to follow up with her physician to determine if it is possibly a symptom of something more serious. Caregivers in San Diego, CA, can help you with these tips.
For more information about hiring Caregivers in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
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