A good night’s sleep
Did you know you spend about a third of your life asleep? Sleep is a big deal in the scheme of life. It is regenerative and healing, and no matter what age you are, you need to get enough of it.
Why sleep is needed
It allows a body to repair any cell damage that occurred during the day.
It refreshes the immune system, which in turn helps to prevent disease.
It helps to improve concentration and memory.
What happens without enough sleep
Older adults who don’t sleep well are more likely to suffer from depression, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, and experience more night-time falls. Insufficient sleep can also lead to serious health problems, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight problems, and breast cancer in women.
Sleep is believed to be one of the most important things anyone can do for their health – even more important than exercise and good nutrition. Yet, discussion around the relationship between ageing and sleep as a basic way of promoting health for older people is relatively new. So, let’s take a look at what keeps older people awake at night, and explore different ways to help someone to get into that comfy, dreamy place that could make them their healthiest self.
Sleep challenges to watch out for with older people:
Medications: The side effects of some medicines can keep people awake, causing insomnia.
Being in pain: Pain and sleeplessness can become a vicious cycle, in which less sleep can lead to more pain, so it’s important to talk to a doctor if pain is interfering with sleep.
Needing to wee at night: Night-time urination can affect up to 80% of older adults, contributing to increased sleep disruptions. One of the reasons that this happens with age is physical changes in the urinary system.
Insomnia: Having persistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep is one of the most common sleep issues in older adults. It can be caused by a variety of overlapping factors, but can improve with treatment.
Daytime drowsiness: Around 20% of older people experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Many people believe that feeling tired during the day is a normal part of getting older – not so. It may actually be a sign of an underlying health condition such as sleep apnoea, cognitive impairment, or cardiovascular issues.
Sleep apnoea: Obstructive sleep apnoea is the name for a condition that causes pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses are related to a repeated collapse (apnoea) or partial collapse (hypopnea) of the upper airway. It makes for fragmented sleep and can affect oxygen levels in the body, leading to headaches, daytime sleepiness, and difficulty thinking clearly.
Restless leg syndrome: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) affects 9% to 20% of older people, while periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) affects 4% to 11%. RLS causes an urge to move the legs while resting or sleeping. PLMS causes involuntary movements in the lower limbs, most commonly in the feet. Both disorders can significantly impact sleep and overall quality of life.
REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) primarily affects older people. While most people’s bodies stay still while they’re dreaming, this disorder can cause people to act out their dreams, sometimes violently.
While the amount of sleep a person needs will vary, most healthy adults require seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, how a person feels in the morning is more important than a particular number of hours. If someone is frequently waking up not feeling rested, or feeling tired during the day, it can indicate that they aren’t getting enough sleep.
Tips to help get a good night's sleep
Addressing underlying emotional issues can be a huge help. Finding out what might be causing someone to worry, or what might be upsetting them can mean finding a solution for fears and sleep.
Check out the sleep environment for possible improvements too. How comfortable is the bed? Are the pillows in good shape? Is the room a good temperature? As people get older, self-care can drop off significantly so the basics of a comfortable bedroom space might need addressing.
Are their daytime habits healthy? It may take some experimentation to find the right changes to improve a person’s sleep. Here are some ideas to try:
Sunlight. Bright sunlight helps regulate the body’s release of a hormone called melatonin, which affects sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythms). At least two hours of sunlight a day is recommended. This might mean keeping curtains open during the day or using a light therapy box as an alternative.
Exercise. Regular exercise can improve sleep. While any movement during the day is good, it’s even better to get regular, moderate exercise a few days a week. Try to avoid workouts too close to bedtime though, give the body a few hours to wind down before bed.
Routine. Developing a bedtime routine that includes time to relax before bed each night helps the body prepare to rest. Try things like reading or listening to an audio book, listening to music, soaking in a warm bath, or using aromatherapy creams for relaxing massage.
A sleep schedule. Going to sleep and getting up at the same time each day, even on weekends or when travelling, can really help set the body up for sleep.
Massage. Touch is a wonderful way to help someone relax.
Essential oils. Combine oils with massage cream or add to a bath, or sprinkle on bed linen. A few drops of lavender or a sleep-specific blend can be really relaxing.
No screens: Avoid televisions, computers, mobiles or other devices before the sleep wind down. The light from these devices can make it difficult to fall asleep and some movies can be pretty stimulating. Keep the bedroom for sleep and sex.
Keep bedrooms at a comfortable temperature. Like Goldilocks, not too hot or too cold, and as quiet as possible.
Eat healthily and avoid processed foods and sugar. Avoid eating larger meals closer to bedtime too as they can cause wakefulness, give the body time to digest.
Stay away from caffeine late in the day. Most people know caffeine can keep a person awake, but not everyone knows where it’s found: in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate.
Avoid extended naps or napping later in the day if possible. Napping too much in daylight hours can lead to wakefulness at night.
Remember that alcohol won’t help sleep. Even small amounts can make it harder to stay asleep.
Lower the lights. Use lower lighting in the evenings (lamps or dimmed lights rather than bright overhead lights) as preparation for bed.
TIP: Aerobic exercise helps older people sleep better. It’s been found that regular weekly aerobic exercise results in the most dramatic improvement in sleep quality, including sleep duration, for both middle-aged and older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia. Their sleep quality improved and they experienced fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality, and less daytime sleepiness.
Keeping someone safe
If you think someone is at risk at night, or from the results of lack of sleep, think about changes that can be made to their environment to reduce the risk of accidents and to make it easier to call for help if and when it’s needed.
Don’t smoke, especially in bed.
Have smoke alarms in bedrooms and high use rooms. Check the batteries or consider interconnected alarms (where they all trigger when one goes off).
Make sure windows and doors that lead outside are lockable.
Set up a lamp within reach that is easy to turn on.
Put a glass of water next to the bed.
Keep a telephone with emergency phone numbers by the bed.
Remove rugs to reduce the chances of tripping during the night.
Consider using monitors to keep aware of whether help is needed.
A good night’s sleep is essential, no matter how old someone is. So make it a priority and seek help if sleep becomes an ongoing problem.
