As you grow older, you may find that getting the adequate amount of sleep becomes more difficult. Retirement, lack of comfort, caffeine, hormones, chronic pain, alcohol, lack of exercise, and stress are just a few of the reasons this may happen. The good news is that with a few changes in most cases you can get the rest you need to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy your day, awake.
A Comfortable Place To Rest
If you toss and turn throughout the night you may need to replace your mattress. While many last for a solid 10 years, you may have soft areas that no longer support your body. Replacing it with a new one can help you to fall asleep faster and remain asleep. This also applies to your once comfy chair. Over time it begins to wear and unfortunately will not offer adequate support, leaving you feeling stiff and achy. This can cause you to remain awake at night until you are completely exhausted. Luckily, you can replace it with something that soothes your aging body in all the right places such as a Perfect Sleep lift chair. These types of chairs include many beneficial features that allow you to rest, enjoy heat, a massage, and a full recline.
Caffeine
As you grow older your tolerance for stimulating beverages consumed prior to bedtimes such as coffee, tea, and cola can have a huge impact on your ability to sleep. As a general rule, caffeine consumed after 3 pm will likely still be in a person’s system come bedtime, though whether it is enough to influence sleep depends on the tolerance of the individual. Regular coffee drinkers who prefer a cup of coffee after dinner may want to do so no sooner than three hours before their bedtime to reduce the chance of it interfering with sleep.
The Proper Environment For Sleep
As you age your sensitivity to sounds and light can keep you up through the night. Thankfully, this is a quick fix. By turning off all of the lights as your television you create a dark room. Many people also find that introducing white noise into the room also drowns out other noises like cars going by or people in another room. If you still cannot seem to fall asleep it may be that the room is too hot. Try replacing the sheets and turning the thermostat down a few degrees or put in a ceiling fan.
Stress
Stress is something that affects all age groups and unfortunately, it can prevent you from falling asleep. If you have a lot on your mind try meditation a half hour before bed followed up with a hot relaxing bath with salts that promote restfulness. If this does not work, try talking to a family member, a friend, or a therapist to clear your mind.
Lack Of Exercise And Stimulation
When you retire you leave the workforce behind. And, while it is rewarding, it is also a big change. You are literally going from non-stop stimulation to wonder what to do today. Stimulate your mind and get your days’ worth of exercise by joining a senior club. They have many different activities planned each day like golf, swimming, and bike riding, doing crafts, and planned day trips. In addition to staying fit, you will also get the chances to converse and develop new friendships.
Medications
Many seniors have multiple prescriptions that they need to take daily. If you fall into this category, you should discuss this with your doctor and see if there is another medication you can take. By switching to a new drug you may not experience restlessness.
Reduce Your Nap Time
If you have trouble sleeping at night you wake up feeling tired and unable to focus. You may need to relax during the day just to feel awake. If you need to lay down limit it to a half hour to 45 minutes and make sure that you do it early in the day. Otherwise, you will end up unable to fall asleep every night because your body is still awake.
Insomnia happens to many people and even more so to the elderly. It is important to identify the problem early on so that you do not put your health at risk. If after you try many things and nothing seems to work, consult your doctor and let him or her do a full checkup and advise you further.
