Tips for Helping Seniors Get Better Sleep
No matter how old a person is, proper sleep is important for good health. Unfortunately, though seniors need sleep just like everyone else, they often have trouble maintaining good sleep habits. Here, we offer some sleeping tips for seniors to help keep them healthy and happy.
- One of the most frequently recommended things to help your sleep is to avoid taking naps. This may seem counterintuitive if someone hasn’t slept well at night but taking naps during the day restores energy and keeps the person from getting a good night’s sleep the following night. For seniors who absolutely feel they have to take a nap during the day, it’s best to schedule it early so that it isn’t as disruptive. Try to fill the rest of the day with interesting activities so there’s no temptation to curl up and sleep away the late-afternoon slump.
- Getting some exercise can promote a restful night of sleep. If you’re trying to figure out how to sleep better, add some exercise into your day. Exercise is great for older people in many different ways. It helps exert energy and alleviate aches and pains, which leads to improved sleep quality. 30 minutes of exercise per day is recommended, whether that’s walking, yoga, swimming, taking an exercise class, or doing some other type of exercise that’s enjoyable. This can promote health for just about every system in the body, as well as helping improve a person’s sleep. Make sure, though, to schedule in your exercise no later than three hours before bedtime, so that it won’t be disruptive to your sleep.
- The earlier a person is active, the earlier that person will be able to fall asleep. Further, if you want to know how to get better sleep, here’s one trick: fit in your most demanding activities early on in your daily schedule. For older people, this could mean household chores, errands, social activities, or even mundane things like bathing. Crossing these things off the to-do list early in the day means they can begin to relax and unwind in the afternoon, settling down before they need to sleep. Anything worrisome should also be dealt with early, in order to settle the mind before trying to fall asleep.
- A good nightly routine will help promote better sleep. Keeping a sleep schedule with consistent sleeping and waking times can help improve the quality of your sleep. Turning off electronics an hour or two before sleeping and creating a soothing bedtime routine is also helpful.
If you’re looking for a senior community that values and nurtures the health and wellbeing of its residents, come take a tour of a Cambridge Village community. At each Cambridge Village location, you can experience the Optimal Living® for active adults that’s given us the reputation of being one of North Carolina’s premier communities. We offer an exceptional lifestyle, with evolving wellness, concierge healthcare, and engaged experience, for a retirement experience that exceeds your expectations. For more information, contact us through our website. For more information on 0ur fitness centers, you can check out Cambridge Fitness.