Elderly Care: Assistance with Insomnia
When it comes to senior sleep, the studies are conflicted. Some studies show that seniors need slightly less sleep than they did when they were younger and need 6.5 to 7 hours. Other studies show that a senior needs the same 8 to 9 hours that they did when they were 20. Regardless of which studies you side with, when your senior loved one is not getting even close to the minimum 6.5 hours stated by the less conservative studies, then you know that they are not getting the sleep that they require.
Senior insomnia can be caused by any number of things, from pain and medication to lifestyle and routine. Either way, the negative effects that the lack of sleep has on your loved one's health is the same, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. A Harvard Medical School study showed that just one night without the proper amount of sleep led to an increase in blood pressure all …show more content…
For example, a sleep diary should be kept to track food, drink, activities, and sleep for a couple of weeks. Then, start to change or eliminate activities and see if the sleep patterns improve.
Common culprits are caffeine (including the eating of chocolate), smoking, and drinking alcohol. Other problems relate to the sleep routine itself. For example, a bed should only be associated with rest for the best quality of sleep. Things that should not take place in the bed are surfing the Internet, reading, and watching television. By training the brain that the bed is associated with sleep, good rest can be achieved once your loved one is "tucked in" for the night.
If medications are found to be the cause or sleeplessness, alternative medications may be prescribed by the physician. If the medication must be taken, the doctor may be able to prescribe a sleep aid to be taken in conjunction with the
When it comes to senior sleep, the studies are conflicted. Some studies show that seniors need slightly less sleep than they did when they were younger and need 6.5 to 7 hours. Other studies show that a senior needs the same 8 to 9 hours that they did when they were 20. Regardless of which studies you side with, when your senior loved one is not getting even close to the minimum 6.5 hours stated by the less conservative studies, then you know that they are not getting the sleep that they require.
Senior insomnia can be caused by any number of things, from pain and medication to lifestyle and routine. Either way, the negative effects that the lack of sleep has on your loved one's health is the same, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. A Harvard Medical School study showed that just one night without the proper amount of sleep led to an increase in blood pressure all …show more content…
For example, a sleep diary should be kept to track food, drink, activities, and sleep for a couple of weeks. Then, start to change or eliminate activities and see if the sleep patterns improve.
Common culprits are caffeine (including the eating of chocolate), smoking, and drinking alcohol. Other problems relate to the sleep routine itself. For example, a bed should only be associated with rest for the best quality of sleep. Things that should not take place in the bed are surfing the Internet, reading, and watching television. By training the brain that the bed is associated with sleep, good rest can be achieved once your loved one is "tucked in" for the night.
If medications are found to be the cause or sleeplessness, alternative medications may be prescribed by the physician. If the medication must be taken, the doctor may be able to prescribe a sleep aid to be taken in conjunction with the