What Can Your Elderly Loved One Do When She Can't Get to Sleep?
Elder Care in Rockford MI: What Can Your Elderly Loved One Do When She Can’t Get to Sleep?
Being unable to get to sleep can be incredibly frustrating for your elderly loved one. It might be even more so if everyone else in the house is peacefully slumbering away. These tips can help her find a solution.
Avoid Screens
Screens, such as an electronic reader, tablet, or even the television, can all interrupt your loved one’s ability to sleep even more than it already is. So if she’s having a difficult time sleeping, spending time with anything that uses a screen that lights up is a bad idea. Your loved one might even need to break the habit of turning on the TV or playing her favorite game on her tablet. She’ll need to be strict with herself to get the best benefit.
Stop Clock Watching
The next problem that your loved one can face when she’s not able to get to sleep is that she may wind up checking the clock way too often. People do that because they want to know how much time has gone by, but what it can lead to is stress over still not being asleep. Your loved one can avoid this by turning her clock so that she can’t see it easily from bed or even using a clock that doesn’t light up in the dark.
Get out of Bed
When falling asleep is becoming impossible, staying in bed really doesn’t help at all. In fact, it can make the problem worse. Encourage your elderly loved one to avoid tossing and turning for hours if she’s not falling asleep. A better alternative is for her to get up and do something relaxing until she can try again to go to sleep.
Do Activities that Calm Her
In the moment, it might be tough for your loved one to come up with ideas for activities that aren’t going to make sleep even more difficult. Strenuous exercise is out, of course, but gentle stretches or yoga can help. Taking a warm bath or having a cup of chamomile tea might also help. So can reading an actual book or doing something that helps to lull her, even if that’s knitting or putting a scrapbook together.
If your loved one is finding that she needs help during the day to keep her on track to be able to sleep at night, consider hiring elder care providers if you’re not able to be there with her. They can help her to set up a schedule that gets her ready for a sleep-filled night.
If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Rockford, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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