Sleep is so important for people of all ages. If your elderly loved one isn’t getting quality sleep, you should see what you can do to help. There are some lifestyle and environmental issues that may be causing your elderly loved one not to sleep well. Figuring out what these are can ultimately help them to get better sleep.
Bad Environment
You should take a look at your elderly loved one’s environment. Where are they sleeping? If it isn’t in a comfortable bed, they may not get good sleep. What is the lighting like where they sleep? If it isn’t dark in their room, this could affect their sleep quality, as well. It is important for your elderly loved one to sleep in a room that is comfortable and dark. You or an elder care provider may need to help your elderly loved one get their environment right before they go to bed.
Side Effects from Medications
There might be medications that your elderly loved one is taking that affect their sleep, as well. For instance, pain and anxiety relief medications can have side effects that cause your elderly loved one to not get good sleep. If this is the case, you may need to talk to your loved one’s doctor to see if other medications can be prescribed instead.
Not Being Active
If your elderly loved one doesn’t move around much throughout the day, this can leave them with a lot of energy at night. If your elderly loved one has too much energy they may not be able to fall asleep. If they do fall asleep, they may not be able to stay asleep. If you find that your elderly loved one has too much energy at night, you or an elder care provider may have to do something active with them. This might include dancing, going for an evening walk, or playing some sort of energetic game.
These are some of the reasons why your elderly loved one may not be getting quality sleep. If you can figure out exactly why your elderly loved one doesn’t sleep well, you can do something about it. If you have tried to figure it out and haven’t come up with an answer, you can have your elderly loved one see their doctor. There might be a medical reason for their lack of quality sleep. It could be chronic pain, diabetes, heart issues, or something else entirely.
Sources: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004018.htm
https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/8-reasons-why-youre-not-sleeping