As people age, many of them begin to have sleep problems. They may have trouble falling asleep at night or may wake and be unable to return to sleep. While you know that can make an older adult sleepy and irritable during the day, you may not know that a lack of sleep could affect the health of their brain. What’s more, new research suggests that sleeping too much can have a similar affect.
About the Study
Researchers in China conducted a study that involved data collected from over 20,000 people. The participants provided information about their sleep habits. In addition, they participated in cognitive tests. Researchers conducted follow up tests to determine how sleep habits impacted the participants results on the cognitive tests.
The results of the study showed that seniors who slept 4 or fewer hours per night showed a faster decline in cognitive health than did those who slept around 7 hours per night. They also discovered that sleeping 10 or more hours per night had the same affect on cognition.
Scientists believe that cognition is affected by too little sleep in that it makes it difficult for the brain to run properly and think clearly. It also causes problems with processing memories. Too much sleep, they think, increases inflammation in the body.
How Senior Care Can Improve Sleep Habits
Whether your aging relative is sleeping too little or too much, senior care can help to improve their sleep habits and set things right.
There are many reasons an older adult may sleep too much. One of them can be boredom. Elderly people who live alone may not have enough to do during the day. This can cause them to sleep more because they have nothing better to do. To prevent boredom and decrease the amount of time an older adult spends sleeping, senior care can offer them companionship, conversation, and activities to stay busy with throughout the day.
For those who have difficulty sleeping at night, senior care can help them to improve their sleep habits, making getting to sleep and staying there easier. One tip that experts agree on for sleeping better is to follow a daily routine of getting up and going to sleep at the same time each night. Senior care providers can come at the same time each morning to help your aging relative to get up and get dressed for the day. They can also come at night to assist the senior in getting ready for bed at the same time every night.
Sources
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20200921/too-much-or-too-little-sleep-bad-for-your-brain
http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Senior Care in Pinellas Park, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
