Does your dad complain about not sleeping well at night? Perhaps he has trouble falling asleep or wakes up after sleeping only a few hours. Trouble sleeping isn’t unusual for older adults, but it can be bothersome. Up to 40 percent of senior citizens experience sleep problems. Poor sleep can leave your parent feeling less energetic during the day. Fortunately, there are some simple changes that could help your dad to get the full seven to nine hours of sleep that doctors recommend. Here are some tips to help your dad sleep better.
Stick to a Schedule.
Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day could help signal your dad’s body when it’s time to go to sleep. If your dad needs help getting up and dressing in the morning, having an elderly care provider come in each day to wake him and assist him with his morning personal care routine could help keep your dad on a set schedule.
Exercise Regularly.
Exercise can help tire your dad out. However, exercise should not take place within three hours of bedtime. Encourage your dad to engage in some sort of physical activity each day, like a walk or an exercise routine. Your dad may even enjoy joining a structured exercise class for seniors. An elderly care provider can drive him to the gym if he is unable to drive himself.
Keep the Bedroom for Sleeping Only.
While it might seem like watching some television in bed could make your dad sleepy, the opposite may actually be true. Using computers, tablets, cell phones, and televisions can actually make it more difficult to sleep. Instead, remind your dad to use the bedroom only for sleeping.
Enjoy a Warm Bath.
A warm bath can help your dad to relax. In addition, when his body temperature drops after getting out of the bath, it can cause him to feel sleepy. Making a bath part of his bedtime routine might help him to fall asleep faster. An elderly care provider can assist him to bathe if needed.
Ease into Bedtime.
About an hour before bedtime, your dad should start to unwind. Turn off the television, computer, or other devices. Spend the hour quietly reading or listening to music.
Keep Naps Short.
Ideally, your dad should avoid napping during the day. However, if he must nap, try to keep naptime to 30 minutes or less. Sometimes a short nap can help give him the energy he needs to get through the rest of the day, but a long nap could affect his sleep during the night. Ask your dad’s elderly care provider to keep him active in the afternoon to avoid napping. They can take walks, play games, or go on outings—all of which will help make him more tired at night.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elderly care in Westfield, NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at 908-418-4299. Providing Home Care Services in all of Northern and Central NJ, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside and the surrounding areas.
Sources
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/19991207/combating-sleep-problems-elderly#1
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/aging-affects-sleep#1
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/aging-and-sleep/coping
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/good-nights-sleep#tips
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
Robert is a Google Verified Author
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