Adults should get seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Quality sleep is important. If your dad is waking frequently and having to settle for half an hour or more before slipping into a deep sleep, it’s not beneficial.

There’s a myth that older adults need less sleep than younger adults. They still need those eight hours each night. Yet, older adults are more likely to deal with insomnia and sleep apnea, which wreaks havoc with a full night’s sleep. If your dad is struggling, here are four tips that might help.

Be Open With His Doctor

Make sure your dad’s doctor is aware of your dad’s having difficulties with sleep. It could be related to a health issue. If he has sleep apnea, the use of a CPAP machine may help.

Avoid Some of the Main Reasons Seniors Wake Up in the Night

Seniors are more likely to wake up if they have a lot to drink before bedtime. Once they’ve walked to the bathroom, turned on lights, if needed, and returned to bed, the body has been up for a few minutes. It can make it hard to get back to sleep.

Eating a full meal can also cause issues. The full stomach that’s working to digest food becomes a problem. Heartburn and acid reflux may happen when your dad gets into bed. If he does eat a meal too close to bedtime, he should prop himself up so that his head and chest are higher than his stomach.

Create a Soothing Routine

If your dad has a routine, there’s a better chance he’ll sleep through. He can play white noise all night to avoid hearing outdoor traffic. A floor fan circulates the air to keep the room cool and also provides that white noise. Spraying his pillows or having a diffuser that fills the room with a calming scent like lavender helps.

Stop Taking Naps

Your dad may like to take an afternoon nap. If he does and the nap is too long, it can make it harder to sleep at night. Instead of napping after lunch, he should get up and go for a walk. Being active will help with his nightly sleep.

It may help to have caregivers stop by through the week. The caregivers you hire can take your dad out on daily walks and drive him to senior centers and public libraries for activities. You can find rates and services by calling a home care agency.

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

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis 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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