Seven Reasons Why Your Dad Struggles With Sleep

By Sid Gerber | October 19, 2022 | Comments Off on Seven Reasons Why Your Dad Struggles With Sleep

Around 5% of older adults in the U.S. are impacted by insomnia. While this isn’t high, around 48% report having the symptoms of insomnia from time to time. Your dad struggles with sleep. What causes it?

Medications

Elder Care Memorial, TX: Sleep Issues

Elder Care Memorial, TX: Sleep Issues

Some medications can trigger insomnia. If your dad’s medications list insomnia as a side effect, talk to his doctor. There may be a different medication he can use, or his doctor may have advice on things you can do to help him get a full night’s sleep.

Alzheimer’s Disease

People with Alzheimer’s often have interrupted or short sleep cycles. If your dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it may be time to look into having caregivers available all day and night.

Outside Noises

Does a neighbor work a late shift and come home and cause the car to beep when locking the doors? If that’s waking your dad up, invest in a fan or white noise machine.

Interrupted Sleep

Your dad goes to bed and falls asleep, but he wakes up early and needs to go to the bathroom. Once he’s walked to the bathroom and turned on the lights, he’s no longer sleepy. His body is energized and ready to start the day.

Help him avoid early morning bathroom trips by cutting full glasses of water right before bed. If he’s thirsty, he should sip water instead. If he does have to go to the bathroom, avoid turning on the lights. Nightlights or voice-activated smart bulbs with nightlight settings are better.

Diet

When does your dad eat dinner? If he has a full meal and heads to bed, digestion is still going on while he’s laying down. It can lead to stomach acid traveling into his esophagus, which leads to heartburn. That can impact how easy it is for him to get to sleep.

Try serving your dad a heavier lunch and a lighter dinner. Aim for a dinner time that’s several hours before he goes to bed.

Lack of Daily Activity

How active is your dad during the day? If he’s prone to long naps after lunch, his lack of daily exercise could be to blame. His body simply isn’t tired enough to sleep during the night. Have him try to be more active and see if it helps. Get him to join others on daily walks or work in his yard.

Uncomfortable Bedding

Is your dad sleeping on the same mattress he’s had for decades? His mattress may be worn out and causing back, hip, and leg pain. Investing in a new mattress could be all he needs to sleep better.

Insomnia is concerning, but it can also just be part of getting older. If it’s tied to health issues, however, make sure your dad has elder care aides available to help him out each day. When he’s tired or dealing with medication side effects, driving himself around isn’t advised. Talk to a home care expert to arrange the elder care services like transportation and companionship.

If you or an aging loved one are considering an Elder Care in Memorial, TX, contact the caring staff at Personal Caregiving Services at 832-564-0338. Providing Care in Houston, Bellaire, West University Place, Katy, and Sugar Land and the surrounding areas.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5991956/#:

Sid Gerber
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