The older you get, the shorter your sleep becomes. Causes and solutions. Check before complications spread and destroy your health!

Insomnia is a common problem in the elderly. It is a condition related to many factors such as smoking, drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, sleeping habits, or even chronic diseases such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, sleep behavior disorders, psychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety, as well as modern behavior and lifestyles that many people may overlook and think that sleeping late and waking up early is a good thing. But in fact, reduced sleep time results in poor sleep quality and health.

Causes of insomnia in the elderly

• Sleep changes. Normally, our bodies have a sleep cycle, which is divided into 2 parts:
  • Normal sleep without eye movement Non Rapid Eye Movement (NON-REM) is a part of deep sleep that allows the organs to restore and repair themselves. It is related to feeling refreshed during the day.
  • Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is when the brain organizes what we have learned, forms long-term memories, and causes dreams.

These two sleep cycles alternate 5-6 times every night. However, as people age, their body begins to produce less melatonin and growth hormone, making it harder for older adults to fall asleep. It can take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, and they may experience reduced sleep at night, waking up frequently in the middle of the night and waking up earlier than usual. 

• Disorders in various stages of sleep that are not related to other physical causes (Primary Sleep Disorder) People with sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorders, and REM sleep behavior disorders disrupt sleep, reducing sleep duration and quality.
• Chronic diseases that affect sleep in the elderly include allergies, diseases that cause pain such as arthritis, muscle and bone pain, cardiovascular disease, pneumonia, diabetes, acid reflux, constipation/diarrhea, urinary tract diseases, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, etc.
• Psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia

Undesirable behaviors such as napping during the day, going to bed too early, using the bed for other activities such as watching TV, reading, playing with smartphones, lack of exercise during the day, life problems such as death of spouse/friend, lack of socializing.

• An environment that is not suitable for sleeping, such as noise, too much light, cold/hot temperature, humidity, uncomfortable bedding.
• Taking certain medications, such as stimulants, sedatives, some blood pressure medications, bronchodilators, and antihistamines. 

Diagnosis and treatment of insomnia in the elderly

• Go to bed only when you are sleepy. If you can’t fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up, do something else in another room, and return to bed when you are sleepy. 
• You should wake up at the same time every morning, regardless of what time you went to bed at night. 
• Exercising regularly, especially adequate aerobic exercise, can help improve your ability to fall asleep. Exercising in the morning and evening can help you fall asleep more soundly and improve your sleep quality. However, avoid exercising before bedtime.
• Bedroom environment Keep the bedroom dark and quiet. Noise and light can disturb sleep. Keep the bedroom temperature comfortable for each person’s preference.   
• Eat regular meals three times a day. When you feel hungry, have a light snack and avoid a heavy meal before bed.
• Limit fluid intake before bedtime to reduce the frequency of urination during sleep.
• Limit caffeinated foods and beverages, such as green tea, tea, coffee, and chocolate, to no more than three cups per day, and avoid drinking in the evening or before bed.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, which may initially help you fall asleep, but can disrupt the process of getting into deep sleep and cause you to wake up unrested.
• Avoid smoking, especially in the evening, as nicotine acts as a stimulant and disrupts sleep.
• Do not use any type of sleeping pills that you buy and take yourself, or antihistamines or anti-motion sickness pills that make you drowsy, because they can cause confusion, dizziness during the day, memory loss, and unsteadiness and falls.
• Control stimuli, such as books or movies that are too exciting.
• Avoid napping during the day.
• See a doctor to determine the cause of your insomnia and get proper treatment.  

Elderly sleep health care is important for overall health and requires a lot of cooperation from the elderly and their families because solving the problem at the source, ยูฟ่าเบท whether by using medication or adjusting behavior, will help the elderly have good health and quality of life sustainably.