How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Get Better Quality Sleep

Is your elderly loved one having a difficult time sleeping? They should be getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night. If this isn’t happening, there are some things that you and their elder care providers can do to help them achieve better quality sleep.

 

Home Care Services in Bay Minette AL: Better Quality Sleep

Home Care Services in Bay Minette AL: Better Quality Sleep

 

Remember, these things take time. Doing them once won’t magically make your loved one sleep better. Try these tips consistently over the course of a couple of weeks and see if they make a difference.

 

Consistent Sleep Schedule

One of the first things that you should have your elderly loved one do to get better quality sleep is to have a consistent sleep schedule. This means they should be laying down at night and getting up every morning at the same time each day. This will get their internal alarm clock back on track. They should even be doing this on weekends. If they sleep in longer on weekends, it will make it that much more difficult to get up the next day and the following days, as well.

 

Don’t Stare at Clock or Toss and Turn

Has your elderly loved one been staring at the clock each night, just watching the hours pass them by? Maybe they toss from one position to the next and never get restful sleep because of this. The truth is that tossing and turning will raise the cortisol levels in the body and that makes it more difficult to get to sleep and to get quality sleep. If your elderly loved one can’t seem to quit tossing and turning, have them get out of bed. They should do something that takes away their energy. This could be a chore or something that rests their mind like knitting or reading.

 

Proper Tone and Environment

If you want your elderly loved one to get better quality sleep, you need to set the proper tone and environment up in their bedroom. This means making the room cool, dark, and quiet. If your elderly loved one gets in bed before the sun is down, they should have blackout curtains in their bedroom. This will make it feel more like nighttime. In addition, you can have your elderly loved one use earplugs. This will get rid of any noises, such as the humming of the furnace, that may be bothering them. The room should also be set to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The television and all other electronics should be turned off.

These are some of the ways that you can help your elderly loved one to get better quality sleep. If your loved one’s elder care providers take care of them at night, be sure they have these tips, as well.

 

If you or someone you know needs Home Care Services in Bay Minette, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Call Us Today 251-517-9901.  Serving Mobile & Baldwin County.

Sources
Cdc.gov

James Hughes