There are plenty of things that can keep a person up at night – thinking too much about a big day tomorrow, a lot of noise outside, an uncomfortable bed. Most of these are temporary sleep interrupters, and while they may stop your loved one from getting a good night’s rest occasionally, they don’t usually interrupt quality sleep consistently and can be quickly fixed by simply getting a better night’s sleep the next night.
But as your elderly loved one has aged, they might be finding that good sleep isn’t missing occasionally in their lives, but it has seemed to have gone for good. And that recurring poor sleep can have horrible health consequences for your senior, requiring intervention and help like home care services.
Why Consistent Bad Sleep is Common for Seniors
At a certain older age, it’s normal for a person’s circadian rhythm clock to shift, often changing when their body wants to go to sleep and get up. That’s why you might know many of your loved ones’ friends who go to bed very early each night and perhaps wake before the crack of dawn. It’s also common that their deep sleep patterns or rapid eye movement sleep decreases. This change can result in a much lighter sleep, making it easier for their body to react to nighttime disruptions.
Three nighttime disorders that may keep your elderly loved one up for most of the night include:
- Restless Leg Syndrome. This neurological disorder is known for creating a constant urge to move the legs when resting. This urge can also be accompanied by uncomfortable sensations in the legs, which can only be relieved by getting up and moving around.
- Insomnia. Insomnia can be brought on by many outside factors, including stress, medications, and some cognitive disorders. It is characterized by the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and/or sleep for long enough periods to enter into restorative sleep.
- Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea happens when a person continually stops and restarts their breathing at night. This constant barrage of disruptions to sleep can make falling into a deep sleep near impossible. Sometimes a person will not remember all of the times they momentarily stopped breathing at night, but over time, it can wreak havoc on heart health and even lead to stroke.
If you believe your loved one has any of these physical conditions that are leading to their inability to sleep well, you must take steps with a professional to find the source of their unrest and work with them to find ways to alleviate it.
Improving Sleep Environments
One way to promote better sleep is to make sure your elderly loved one’s sleeping environment is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Start during the day with the help of a home care provider to help your loved one sleep better at night.
Here are some ways a home care provider can help:
- Make sure the bedroom is ready for sleep at night. Your loved one should be able to simply get into bed when they are tired and not worry about making it or cleaning it off. A home care provider can help keep your loved one’s bedroom ready for sleep.
- Make sure it’ll be dark enough. Have your home care provider close the drapes in the afternoon so the room is nice and dark when your loved one is ready to sleep.
- Keep it cool. Most people sleep better in cool environments, so make sure the thermostat is set for cooler temps at night.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Green Valley, NV, please contact the caring staff at Compassion Crest Home Care today at (702) 385-0920
Compassion Crest Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Las Vegas, NV, and the surrounding areas.
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