As many as 50% of seniors complain about sleep problems. Sleep issues can rise with age and many seniors experience more issues than those who are younger.
If you're looking for ways to improve your sleep hygiene, there are many different steps you can take. Changing your bedtime routine, improving your nutrition, and managing your stress can all be helpful.
Ready to learn more? Here are the most essential sleep hygiene tips and healthy sleep habits for seniors.
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and keeping a consistent bedtime routine can help you get a better night's sleep. It's best to have a bedtime ritual in which you'll unwind for at least an hour before bed. After experiencing a day in the life at a senior living community, consider spending time listening to relaxing music, bathing, or meditating to prepare yourself for sleep while calming your body and mind.
Remember that it's also important to avoid screens for a significant amount of time before going to bed. Aim to reduce your exposure to the blue light that's emitted by television, computer, and smartphone screens since this light can inhibit the production of melatonin and make sleep more difficult.
In addition to setting a solid routine for sleep, you should also do everything you can to make your environment more comfortable. Make sure that your environment is dark and quiet and that the temperature is to your liking.
You should also ensure that you have a comfortable mattress with pillows and blankets that are suitable for your needs. An adjustable bed can be helpful for changing your sleeping position and ensuring that you're as comfortable as possible during the night. Ideally, aim to use your bedroom only for sleeping so that your brain will automatically associate the bedroom with sleep.
Doing these things can help make your environment more conducive to sleep. They can minimize the amount of time you toss and turn while also helping improve your sleep quality.
When working on senior sleep improvements, it's also important to consider your diet as well. The food you eat and when you eat it has a close connection to how well you sleep.
For one thing, you should avoid having coffee and other beverages with caffeine too late in the day. You should also avoid drinking alcohol too late as well. While it may seem to make you sleepy, it can actually cause your sleep quality to suffer.
It's also ideal to reduce the amount of sugar you're eating in general and to avoid big meals and spicy foods before bed. You should also avoid liquids before you go to sleep as well, since they can cause you to wake up in the night and need to use the bathroom.
It's no secret that stress and anxiety can keep you awake at night and cause sleep problems. Because of this, it's important that you look for ways to better manage your stress and curb your anxiety, especially before bed. There are many ways to do this and a lot of techniques are out there for you to try.
Some things that may help you with these goals are listening to relaxing music, doing some light reading, or doing some meditation before you go to sleep as part of your nighttime routine. It may also be worth talking with a therapist, keeping a journal, or using other techniques to strengthen your mental health and reduce your mental clutter.
If you don't exercise regularly, you're missing out on a multitude of benefits that can help you live better as a senior. Among many other benefits, exercising regularly can allow you to sleep better each night. Keep in mind that aerobic exercise is best for this purpose and will be most conducive to a good night's rest.
Some activities you may want to add to your weekly routine include walking or running, cycling, dancing, or swimming. Each of these activities can be a lot of fun but will also help improve your sleep hygiene. Fortunately, an assisted living community can help you get great exercise each day.
As part of improving overall sleep hygiene, napping can play an important role that can help you feel better during the day. However, be sure that if you nap that you don't overdo it.
You should aim to keep your naps short and ideally less than an hour in length. A longer nap can be harder to recover from and may make it hard to get back to daily activities.
You should also aim to nap earlier in the day rather than later in the day. If you nap late in the evening you may find that it's harder to get to sleep at night at your normal bedtime. While napping can contribute to your overall rest, don't let it be a substitute for a good night of quality sleep.
When working to improve sleep hygiene, it can help to have an understanding of any potential sleep conditions and disorders you may have. There are many sleep disorders that can cause trouble with sleep and prevent you from having a quality night's rest. Knowing that you have one of these conditions is half the battle toward taking steps to fix it and ensuring you'll be able to rest easy each night.
A few conditions you could suffer from include:
It can be worth seeing a doctor to get to the bottom of any problems you're experiencing and to see if there's a solution that can help.
Especially as a senior, using restful sleep strategies to improve your quality of sleep is extremely important. Make sure to use these sleep hygiene tips if you want to be healthier and feel better.
Are you looking for a senior living community in Shiloh, IL? Consider Addington Place of Shiloh. Our dedicated team provides the very best comfort and care in the area and is ready to meet your every need.
With a welcoming community, exceptional care, and 24/7 support and security, Addington Place of Shiloh is the best that Shiloh has to offer. Explore available senior living options today.