Senior Care: Five Ways to Ensure a Good Night’s Rest

 For seniors, a good night’s rest can mean time for the body and mind to recover, more energy to tackle the day and enhanced concentration and mental alertness.  Yet, many older adults struggle with falling or staying asleep. To help combat this problem, we share five valuable sleeping tips for seniors.
1. Pass on the late night snacks. While having a snack after dinner sounds tempting, certain foods can result in digestive issues such as heartburn that can keep seniors awake or interrupt a sleep cycle. Some snacks may also be packed with sugars, keeping seniors from following their natural sleep cycle.
2. Select appropriate types and amounts of beverages. Along with snacks, caffeinated beverages should be avoided. Full glasses of water or other juices and beverages should also be limited a few hours prior to bedtime to prevent getting up in the middle of the night to use the rest room.
3. Find a replacement for the television. Studies show that watching television before bed, or using electronic devices like tablets, make it harder to sleep because of the blue light emissions from the screen. Instead, seniors should read a book or listen to an audiobook or pod-cast to help ease them into a restful state.
4. Reserve the bedroom for sleep. It isn’t a good idea to just crash on the couch in the living room. Instead, seniors and older adults should designate the bedroom as the place where they sleep and make it a point to go there when it’s time to call it a night. Thus, the bedroom will be associated with sleep, and sleep will come more easily.
5. Sleep when the body’s ready. While it’s important to keep a routine, seniors should not fight feelings of sleep. It is natural for older adults to experience a change in their sleep cycle, feeling ready to go to bed earlier. Encourage your aging loved one to give him or herself “permission” to fall asleep earlier.
Are you concerned about the amount of sleep your loved one is getting each night? Find out how you can help support an aging loved one by contacting Home Care Assistance of Santa Clarita today.
For additional support, turn to Home Care Assistance for live-in, hourly, and respite home care.  Call us at 661-259-9914 and request a complimentary consultation.