Even if a person is aging and you think that sleeping patterns change or a senior needs less sleep, that’s not true. While a pattern may change in the sense that a senior may go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, they need to be getting quality sleep each night. They should not be staying up stressed or sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night. If they are experiencing any issues it is something that you, senior home care, and even a doctor needs to address with your elderly loved one. Here are some of the most common sleeping problems your elderly mom or dad may experience in their golden years.
REM Behavior Disorder
REM behavior disorder becomes more of an issue and a higher chance of developing this problem as a person ages. It is rare but common in the elderly so it is something that seniors need to pay attention to. REM behavior disorder is a condition where a senior may experience unwanted physical gestures or events. This can range from hand gestures to jumping out of the bed while sleeping. It can be slight and unnoticeable or it can be big and cause injuries while sleeping. If your loved one is waking up in the middle of the night because they are falling or rolling on the floor, this is something to talk to a doctor about. Falling out of bed can cause harm to your loved one, it can make it hard to sleep, and a senior may even start to feel stressed when it comes to bedtime.
Sleep Apnea
This is a condition where a senior may stop breathing for periods of time while they sleep and it is usually accompanied by deep snoring. A senior will need to go get a sleep study done and a doctor may give them a machine to help them keep breathing in the middle of the night. Many seniors with sleep apnea have trouble staying asleep throughout the night without the proper equipment.
Restless Leg Syndrome
A senior may need to move their legs because of discomfort or tingling sensations in their legs. This can prevent them from getting a good night of sleep because they may feel like they need to get up and walk off those feelings. This tends to happen as a person gets older and is another condition that their primary care doctor should know about.
How To Get Help Sleeping as a Senior
Many seniors don’t know this but their doctors can help with sleeping issues. They may need a machine to help them breathe at night or they may need to join a sleep study. Your loved one should develop a healthy routine with senior home care who can help ensure they have a relaxing bedtime routine and ensure they are wound down for the night.
The very first step in getting help is observing the problem and then going to the doctor with those observations. Once a doctor understands what is going on they can make recommendations that help your loved one age in place for much longer. Everything mentioned above has solutions but a senior needs to get treatment to find those solutions. A doctor can help a senior get the quality rest they need and this rest will ensure a senior stays healthy enough to age in place for the remainder of their lives. Sleep is crucial for every human to function and it should be more important in society. It is healthy to sleep.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in San Diego, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aaron Home Care. (619) 880-5522
A Trusted Home Care Agency Serving La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Diego, UTC, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, Bonita, Eastlake and the surrounding areas.
In 1999, Aaron was named Residential Program Manager of a group home for disabled adults in Arlington, Virgina. Here, he built a reputation for being compassionate with his clients and efficient in company operations. In the years that followed, Washington DC’s human services field went through unprecedented reform when the city was fined $11 million for the previously unchecked abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the very population it was supposed to protect. In 2005, Aaron was selected by a watchdog company to co-create and implement a monitoring system to safeguard and advocate for the system’s most vulnerable residents. This system is still in use today.
Aaron is now using his unique gifts and profound experience in the human service field to provide San Diego County Seniors with dependable, compassionate caregivers through Aaron Home Care.
He currently serves on the board of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council and is an active member of the Senior Advocate Network of San Diego.
Aaron Home Care is a member of the American Board of Home Care and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
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