Seniors should get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, many have insomnia, among other factors that can contribute to restless nights. Here are three tips loved ones and home aides can use to secure a good night’s sleep.

How to Encourage Seniors to Sleep

1. Follow a Routine Bed Time

People sleep better naturally when they go to bed at the same time each night. This repetition works with the body’s circadian rhythm, which will make the senior feel sleepy around the same time every day. Work with their home aide to establish a time for them to doze off and then help your loved one follow that schedule habitually.

2. Stop Drinking Hours Before Bed

Seniors often have issues with incontinence and overactive bladders at night. It’s hard to feel rested when you’re waking up every few hours. Encourage your loved one to limit their drinking a few hours before bed so they won’t have a full bladder when they cozy in. A home aide can further enforce this idea by reminding the senior to taper off their drinking before bedtime.

3. Talk With Their Doctor

Some medications can cause insomnia that won’t go away without adjusting the dosage. If your loved one consistently cannot fall asleep, take them to the doctor. A physician can assess if they are on any current medications that should be changed to promote better sleep. Additionally, a medical professional may recommend natural sleep aids like melatonin to get them into a healthy sleep habit before tapering off the helpful supplement.

Lifetime Care in Rochester, NY, offers over 50 years of experience providing home aides to help seniors maintain independence and top quality of life. Their compassionate team of caregivers support homebound and hospice patients through nursing care to proper good physical and mental health. To learn about their cost-efficient assistance and locations across the Finger Lakes region, call (585) 214-1000 for Rochester, (800) 598-4995 for Lakeville, or (315) 331-7990 for Newark, NY. Visit the website for information on their specialty services.