Sleep & Good Health

What would you guess to be the most pervasive health problem for the elderly? If you answered sleep, you would be correct. Sleep, or more accurately, lack of sleep is the major cause of poor physical and psychological health for the elderly. Without proper quality of sleep, everyone, especially senior citizens, will suffer from loss in concentration and poor memory. Also, the body’s ability to effectively repair physical ailments and prevent disease are diminished.
More than half of men and women over the age of 65 complain of at least one sleeping problem, and many elderly individuals experience insomnia on a regular basis. Generally, seniors sleep less frequently and experience more fragmented sleeping patterns, spending less time in deep sleep than when they were younger. The following list shows some common problematic habits:

• Irregular sleeping hours.
• Consuming alcohol just prior to bedtime.
• A frequent need to urinate.
• Pain from various ailments, including arthritis, diabetes, etc…
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Napping too much during the day.
• Stress.
• Life changes, such as the death of a loved one, a move, or physical limitations.
• Sleep breathing disorders, including sleep apnea and snoring.

Poor sleeping habits can relate directly to poor health. Caregivers can work with loved ones to reduce the symptoms of poor sleeping habits. Sleep is important to all of us, and is essential to physical health and emotional well being.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!