Quality sleep is important for people of all ages. From the time people are born until the end of their life, quality sleep is critical. Think about when you don’t get good sleep. Are you more tired and irritable? You probably are. Do you have more aches and pains? This is very likely. The same goes for your elderly loved one. This is why it is very important to share these tips to help your elderly loved one get better sleep.
Limiting Their Naps
One of the best things you can do to help your elderly loved one get better sleep is to have them limit naps during the day. If your elderly loved one is taking naps during the day, they are restoring their energy. This means they aren’t likely to get great sleep at night. If you find that your elderly loved one does have to take a nap in the daytime, make sure it is earlier in the day. It would be best if the nap was during the late morning or early afternoon hours. If you feel that your elderly loved one will fall asleep later in the day when nobody is around, you can hire elder care providers to visit with them. These providers can help keep your elderly loved one awake.
Encouraging Exercise
Research shows that exercise helps people in numerous ways. It helps to exert energy so people can sleep better. It also helps to relieve aches and pains. This can also help to improve sleep quality. If your elderly loved one isn’t exercising regularly, 30 minutes a day on average, they are likely going to have poor sleep quality. Even if they think their sleep is just fine, recommend that they exercise daily. They may notice a significant improvement in their sleep. Even if they don’t, regular exercise can help in various other aspects of their life.
Doing Demanding Activities Earlier
It is also beneficial for your elderly loved one to do the demanding activities earlier on in their day. This might include things such as bathing or doing household chores. If they can get these tasks done earlier in their day, they won’t have as much or anything to worry about in the evening. Easing these worries and getting things taken care of can help people to sleep better at night. If needed, you can hire elder care providers to help your loved one get these tasks done in the morning or the early afternoon.
Conclusion
These are some of the best tips for helping senior citizens get better sleep. With these tips, hopefully, your elderly loved one can fall asleep quicker at night and sleep through the night. It is important to note that if your loved one does these things and they still can’t sleep well, you should have them see their doctor.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html