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Tag: Sleep

Helping Seniors With Alzheimer’s Sleep Better

Posted on by Craig Bass
Alzheimer's Care in Las Vegas NV
Alzheimer’s Care in Las Vegas NV

Seniors who have Alzheimer’s often have problems with disrupted sleep. They may get up and wander in the night, or have nightmares, or be unable to sleep because their internal body clock is off and they think it’s daytime when it’s really night. Medication side effects and other problems can interfere with their ability to sleep as well.

Alzheimer’s care, which is specialized care for seniors with Alzheimer’s, can help seniors sleep better by offering customized care solutions for your senior parent. Trained caregivers that specialize in Alzheimer’s care will work with your family and your senior parent to help seniors with sleeping issues like:

Insomnia

Seniors often struggle with insomnia, even seniors that don’t have Alzheimer’s. Insomnia can be tough to solve for seniors with Alzheimer’s because some of the traditional methods used to fight insomnia like reading or watching TV may not be things that seniors with Alzheimer’s can do. But there are some things that can help seniors with Alzheimer’s fight insomnia like finding any type of soothing and repetitive task for them to do. Folding laundry can be a very effective way to get a senior with Alzheimer’s calm enough to sleep. Using a fidget muff or a fidget blanket can also help them get to sleep.

Wandering

When seniors wander at night they may be agitated but unable to express why they’re agitated. They could be getting up and walking around because they know something is off but they don’t know what. If your senior parent is wandering a lot at night or getting out of bed frequently a caregiver can try to minimize the chances of wandering by making sure that your senior parent has a drink of water and a light snack before bed. That way they won’t be hungry or thirsty. Pain can also cause them to be agitated and wander so seniors need to be given their prescribed medication before bed too.

Disrupted Circadian Rhythm

If your senior parent is having trouble sleeping because they think it’s daytime when it’s really night you can try to reset their Circadian rhythm by using light therapy or by making sure they get outdoors for a good portion of the day where they will be exposed to sunlight. The sunlight should reset their Circadian rhythm and help them sleep the way they should when it’s dark outside. Disrupted Circadian rhythm can occur in seniors when the seasons change or when the clock moves forward or back.

Nightmares

It can be hard to know if your senior parent with Alzheimer’s is having nightmares if they can’t express to you that they’re having scary dreams or tell you about those dreams. But if the care provider reports that your senior parent is showing signs of having nightmares you can talk to their doctor about medications that might be able to help. If the nightmares are a side effect of medication changing that medication should eliminate the nightmares.

If you are considering Alzheimer’s care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Is Your Elderly Loved One Losing Sleep?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Summerlin NV
Home Care Assistance in Summerlin NV

Has your elderly loved one been losing sleep? Maybe you have gone over to their house in the morning only to find that they are still asleep later than they normally would be. It could be that your elderly loved one is yawning through lunch or when talking to you on the phone. If they are losing sleep, it is best to find out why, so you can help them to do something about it.

Experienced a Loss

Has your elderly loved one recently experienced a loss? Many of us have, but for the elderly, it often hits them a bit differently. They know they don’t have a lot of years left to live and the more people they lose, the harder it can become, especially if the people they are losing are close to them. If your elderly loved one has experienced a loss, the grieving process may be keeping them up at night. If this is the case, it may be a good idea to have home care assistance spend the night at their house. That way, they have someone to talk to before bed and they don’t feel so alone.

Worrisome Nights

Another reason why your elderly loved one may be losing sleep is that they are worrying well into the night. The worries are a common reason that senior citizens can’t sleep. Think about it – when you can’t sleep are you worried about bills, family members, personal issues, or anything in particular or do you worry about just everything in general? This is likely the same for your elderly loved one, too. The things they worry about could be running through their mind at night and keeping them awake. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to have someone at their house who they can talk to before bed to get these worries off their mind.

Procrastination

Does your elderly loved one seem to wait until late in the evening to get things done? Maybe it is the dishes, vacuuming, making phone calls, watching their favorite television shows, or anything else really. If they are procrastinating during the day, they may be staying up too late trying to get things done. In addition, if they are trying to go to bed without things being finished for the day, they may be lying in bed thinking about everything they should be doing instead. If this is the case, it may be good to have someone around during the day time to help remind your elderly loved one to get things done. Home care providers can do this for your elderly loved one.

Conclusion

Has your elderly loved one been losing sleep? If so, it may be best to hire home care assistance to help them get better sleep. These providers can help them to stop procrastinating, get thoughts off their mind, and just feel more relaxed before bed.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5689397/

If you are considering home care assistance in Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.