Sleep Tips for Older Adults

Having trouble sleeping well is not uncommon for elderly loved ones, and sometimes there is a medical reason. If your loved one’s doctor can’t find any medical cause, though, you’re left to try other solutions.

5 Sleep Tips for Older Adults With Trouble Sleeping

Some of these solutions might help your loved one, or you, to get a little bit more sleep.

1. Create a Sleep Ritual

Sleep rituals are a great way to help your loved one’s body understand that it’s time to go to sleep. One of the easiest ways to do this is by setting up a series of activities that gradually wind your loved one down. For some people, reading or watching a favorite television show can do this. For other folks, a warm bath or shower can be the cue their body needs. Work with your loved one to figure out what might work best for her.

2. Eliminate Harmful Crutches

Sometimes there are activities, foods, or drinks that can cause trouble sleeping. Having coffee too late in the day or a nightcap are just two examples. If your loved one enjoys a bedtime snack, indigestion might be the culprit of their sleeplessness. Try taking a good long look at your loved one’s habits before bedtime and see which ones might be causing the trouble with sleep.

3. Reduce Surrounding Noise

Some people are really sensitive to noise, even if they don’t think they are. One thing you can do to reduce noise is to utilize heavy drapes to dampen exterior noise. Carpet or thick rugs can also help to keep the noise down.

4. Try White Noise

If that doesn’t help, consider a white noise machine. White noise machines create unobtrusive noises that can help mask more irritating noises.

5. Introduce Naps Into Your Sleep Schedule

If your loved one still isn’t getting enough sleep, don’t count naps out entirely. Napping too much can be part of the problem with sleeping at night, but your loved one still needs sleep. Try power naps earlier in the day so they don’t interfere with nighttime sleeping. When you can’t be there to help your loved one sort out those kinds of details, enlist the help of home care providers who can help sort out your loved one’s schedule a bit.

Contact Sonas for Home Health Care Services

Getting the right amount of sleep is so important, and some of these changes can help your loved one get more sleep.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home health care services in Florida, contact the caring staff at Sonas Home Health Care. Call today (888) 592-5855.

Jillian Miller BSN, RN

Director of Nursing at Sonas Home Health Care

This blog was reviewed by Jillian Miller BSN, RN — Director of Nursing for Sonas Home Health Care’s Tampa Bay market — for clinical accuracy. Jillian Miller has been a nurse for 16 years — working primarily in pediatrics. She believes the best part of working with the pediatric population is when you see smiles from clients when you first enter the room. She loves seeing the difference you can make in families’ lives while providing the best care possible for them.