How to improve the quality of your sleep as you age
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EmailCreating nightly routines and avoiding caffeinated beverages can help you get the 7-8 hours of sleep your body needs.
Health experts recognize that a good night’s sleep is important at every age. Sleep is a vital aspect of good health and quality of life. Adults age 65 and older need about 7-8 hours of sleep each night to feel rested; unfortunately, most do not get that amount. Many older adults have difficulty falling asleep at night and often sleep less deeply, waking up more regularly during the night.
As people age, sleep schedules change, with many older adults going to bed at an earlier hour and rising earlier in the morning. They may also be more sensitive to environmental changes such as noise or light. Older adults might also be experiencing physical health or mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis which can cause sleep disturbance as described in this Sleep Foundation.org article.
According to the National Institute on Aging, our sleeping patterns may change as we get older, but there are things you can do to improve sleep. The National Institute on Aging provides a list of suggestions to help ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
- Follow a schedule by going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
- Prepare your body for rest by having a calming bedtime routine, reading a book or taking a warm bath.
- Create a safe and comfortable place to sleep. For optimal sleep, your bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.
- Incorporating daily exercise will help improve the quality of your sleep, but not within three hours of your bedtime.
- Try not to nap too long or too close to bedtime as this may make it harder to fall asleep.
- Avoid caffeinated beverages later in the day or switch to decaffeinated.
- Do not use alcohol as a sleep aid. While it may help you drift off faster, it can interfere with the restorative stages of sleep your body needs.
- Use your bedroom only for sleeping. Avoid using your cellphone, television, laptop or tablets after turning out the light.
- Avoid eating large meals or drinking excess liquids within two to three hours of your bedtime.
- Talk with your doctor to address ongoing sleep problems.
What if you do all that and you still cannot seem to fall asleep? Be patient with yourself. Give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to fall asleep. Try some mindful breathing for 5 minutes, concentrating only on feeling your natural breath in and out, and in and out. In the next 5 minutes, concentrate on thinking peaceful, loving thoughts. Make a mental list of three to five things that went well for you that day. If you are not sleepy after 20 minutes, then get up and try reading or listening to some calming music and try again.
Michigan State University Extension offers classes and programs in mindfulness techniques that can help you learn more about ways to improve your health and wellbeing. If you want to learn more about sleep hygiene and find ways to improve your sleep, consider enrolling in Michigan State University Extension's SLEEP (Sleep Education for Everyone Program). SLEEP is a six-week program that offers guidelines to help adults improve sleep hygiene practices, which are behaviors that enhance sleep quality. For more information, visit the SLEEP website.
