Four Things Seniors Should Do Every Night

Having a good nighttime routine can help seniors wind down so they can sleep soundly at night. Many seniors battle anxiety at night, and having a set nighttime routine can help calm down that anxiety. Also making it easier for them to relax and let go of the stress of the day, so that they get restful sleep. One thing that can help seniors relax at night is 24-hour home care.

One reason seniors are anxious at night is they worry about sleeping alone in the house. When seniors have 24-hour home care, they don’t have the extra anxiety of being alone at night. They can sleep peacefully, knowing that there is someone there with them. In addition to 24-hour home care, these nighttime activities can make sleep easier for seniors:

Journal

Journaling can be a very effective tool that seniors can use to process their thoughts and emotions. Seniors with anxiety or depression may find journaling helpful for sleeping better at night. Seniors can also use the hour or so before bed to write poems or even a novel.

Plan For The Next Day

Seniors can benefit from routine. So seniors can create a healthy daily routine by taking some time at night to plan tasks and events for the next day. Many seniors keep a planner or calendar, and divide that into segments of time during the day. Then in each segment of the day, they write out all the things they want to accomplish. A typical daily routine page might have time for exercise, time for hobbies, and any appointments like doctor’s appointments.

Stretch

Light physical activity at night can help seniors sleep and prevent muscle cramps and spasms in bed. About half an hour before bed, seniors can do some gentle yoga stretching to release any tension in their muscles and move their bodies a little before settling in for the night. You can do the stretches too if you want to improve your own health, or a caregiver can do them with your senior loved one if you are not with them at night.

Meditate 

Meditation is a wonderful tool for controlling anxiety and reducing stress. Meditating at night can help seniors struggling with insomnia and sleep disturbances. Guided meditations are often the best for seniors, because the structure of a guided meditation is easy to follow. Just five minutes of meditation each night can start to make a difference in a senior’s quality of sleep pretty quickly. If your senior parent doesn’t want to try meditation, just listening to calming music can help.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring 24-Hour Home Care in Los Gatos, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

Andy Howard CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howard is a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry. His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005. He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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