Sleep Problems
Many
elderly parents suffer from not getting a restful night of sleep. Many different reasons can cause sleep
problems from Restless Leg Syndrome, to Sleep Apnea, problems with medications,
or a host of many other things. Without
getting into the many things that can cause lack of sleep issues, lets focus on
some things that may help. It is
very important that the elderly person still tries to lead an active life
during the day. Encourage them to
spend as little of time in bed during the day as they can. Get as much exercise as possible while
still taking care of any health issues that they may have.
Keep a steady routine that is
followed closely. Don’t stay up
real late one night and go to bed early the next. Stay consistent with a schedule. It’s sort of like a babies schedule, when on one they tend
to be less fussy and much more happy.
Avoid
the use of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine in the afternoon and evening hours.
In fact I would go as far as to say, “Don’t ever use them”. These products can really put a damper
on a good nights sleep, not to mention they are not good for the human body no
matter how old you are.
It’s
important to have good sleep habits and the elderly need to receive at least a
half hour to an hour of exposure to bright light each day. This and exercise together reinforce
the circadian cycle, which is essential to sleep. Minimize the amount of
sunlight coming into the bedroom in the mornings will also help. Don’t spend too much time in bed trying
to go to sleep. Get up and move around
a little or watch some television from your favorite chair. Continuing to stay in bed and trying to
fall asleep can sometimes reinforce the problem just because you are thinking
too much about it.
I
would also search for help on this subject from various national organizations
like the American Sleep Disorders Association. They can be found on the net at
http://www.asda.org or the National Sleep Foundation at
http://www.sleepfoundation.org. These organizations have a wealth of information to help
those struggling with this problem.
Check out our site at familyfirstalert.com to learn more.
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