An essential part of providing quality home healthcare is being able to recognize healthy sleep patterns. Whether you’re a caregiver, you're receiving homecare, or you’re caring for a loved one, it’s important to understand how sleep schedules can change for seniors. Here are some important facts you should know:
- Studies reveal that it takes longer for seniors to fall asleep, but it’s more difficult for them to stay asleep. This may be due to certain illnesses, ailments, or certain medications.
- Many seniors fall asleep earlier and wake much earlier. Advanced sleep phase syndrome causes the internal clock of many seniors to adjust to earlier wake up times; however, if seniors stay up late, they may begin to experiencesleep deprivation.
- Even without disturbances due to illnesses and/or medications, many seniors experience insomnia—around 44 percent, in fact. In this case, it is worth speaking to a doctor to address the issue, as a lack of sleep may lead to other risks, especially for seniors.
- Sleep apnea/snoring is also a common sleep disturbance for seniors, as well as many adults. This can be treated by a doctor as well and may require a special machine to help with breathing.
- Seniors require the same amount of sleep as adults in their late 20s. Despite many reports of seniors needing less hours of sleep, the hours of sleep needed each night is the same sleep range for adults aged 25 and up.
Best Home Care is in the business of caring for others, whether through professional homecare services for seniors, pediatric homecare, or homecare for individuals living with a disability. We vow to help our clients find quality homecare to support their unique needs through home nurses, personal care assistants, and home caregivers.
For more information on seniors and sleep patterns, please contact Best Home Care for additional questions. Also, be sure to visit our website for more information about our services and to read other blog posts for tips related to quality homecare services.
