aging and sleep can coincide

Yes, aging and sleep can co-exist! Older people need to  sleep as much as young people, and it is not normal to have less sleep as we age. Something is wrong.

Maybe you need to deal with pain. It may be physical so check with your doctor if you think this may be the case.

Memory, forgetfulness, depression and waking up tired, maybe because of this.

aging and sleep

aging and sleep and safety

Sometimes older people living by themselves don't feel safe.

. Have smoke alarms working, have a telephone by your bedside, make sure your mats aren't in the way before you go to bed or remove them completely.

. Put on your nite lite before going to bed and check your doors so you're not getting up later. I keep a container of water by on my night table and shut my heating pad off.

. If you have restless leg or weird tingling creeping feelings in your leg, it may be that you are deficient in folic acid or maybe even need a B supplement. When I had this feeling in my legs, I started taking folic acid, and it goes away. Check with your health care practitioner as this may be your problem also. 

If you can't sleep no matter what you try, you may need to see a doctor, rather than thinking it is normal, aging and sleep related.

Electronics might be playing havoc with your sleep.

Smartphones and iPads for reading could be very disrupting. They're so bright that they make you too alert before bedtime. 

.Try not to, watch TV late.

. Use the e-reader and reading light, for late night reading.  

. With a computer or iPad, you might want to think about investing in Blue-Blocker glasses or an F lux program on your laptop. It makes your computer screen brown.

. Listening to books on tape, doing some easy stretching, and putting on the soft music helps.

. What about a paper book and a bedside lamp.

. Use a night lite for safety when getting up to the bathroom. 

. To adjust your melatonin go get some sun for a few minutes each day 15 minutes, (don't wear sunglasses, sunscreen - for those few minutes), maybe even use a light therapy box.

. Keep your bedroom dark.

comfort 

. Keep your room cool.

. Make sure your beds comfortable so that you can move around. We have a king size bed. I have trouble sleeping in a smaller bed unless I am not with my husband.

. Invest in a good mattress  and pillow. I had to shop around for that perfect pillow because I was waking up with headaches and sore neck muscles, because of my arthritis. I also purchased dream foam for the mattress topping and luxurious high thread count bedding linens.

. If you use the bed to do work or watch tv, it will take longer to get to sleep. 

also consider

. Avoid alcohol and coffee before you go to bed.  I usually only have coffee in the morning, or I have trouble sleeping. Don't drink too many liquids because you have to get up to go to the washroom more often maybe just a cup of water or your chamomile tea before you go to sleep.

. Smoking is a problem; you crave a cigarette if you wake.

. I heard that turkey is a healthy snack or a banana if you are hungry before bedtime.

. Some mild exercise is useful like stretching.

. If you wake, up use some of the meditation techniques to get back to sleep rather than getting up and do not turn on a bright lite.

. Breath deep through your nose. Hold for a few seconds. Breath out through your mouth.

"times have changed"

In our great grandparents time, they got lots of exercises even if it was just walking and gardening.

They read by the fireplace with gas lamps and had hobbies for winding down the day, like knitting or needlepoint.

They worked hard physically and felt needed to old age.

They woke  with the sun then went  to sleep with the dark. Oh, and no iPad in bed with them.

Are you haveing problems with aging and sleep?

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