How Is Insomnia Affecting Your Senior?
Your elderly family member may never have dealt with insomnia in the past, but now finds herself battling it regularly. Insomnia can be incredibly frustrating, especially because it often creates a vicious cycle that keeps feeding the sleeping issues.
She’s Still Sleepy When She Wakes Up
Caregiver Havertown, PA: Insomnia Affecting Your Senior
When your elderly family member wakes up for the day, she may still be sleepy if she’s been battling insomnia all night. She may go ahead and get up when she’s supposed to simply because she’s used to doing so and she’s tired of being in bed for that many hours. Some seniors even get up earlier than they plan to because of insomnia. The key is how your elderly family member feels. If she’s still feeling as if she didn’t sleep, she may need to try something new.
She Ends up Groggy through the Day
Another side effect she’s likely managing is daytime grogginess. This often starts right after she gets up and feels like a fog in her brain that just never quite lifts. Your elderly family member might feel as if she needs or wants a nap, too, but she might resist because she wants to sleep well that night. If she does nap during the day, it’s a good idea to keep those naps short and as early in the day as possible.
She’s Taking Longer to Fall Asleep
When your elderly family member does make it to bed finally she may feel as if she’ll be rewarded by falling asleep quickly. The problem is that she’s not guaranteed that’s what will happen. With insomnia, it often still takes a longer time to fall asleep than your senior wants. She may have been groggy all day and then find herself in bed and willing to sleep, but suddenly more awake than she’s been throughout the entire day.
She’s Waking up a Lot Overnight
If your elderly family member does finally get to sleep, the last problem she might encounter is that she can’t stay asleep as long as she wants. She might fall asleep immediately, for instance, and sleep for an hour or two and then find herself wide awake off and on for the rest of the night. This can be incredibly frustrating, because it feeds into the groggy feelings that she has throughout the day.
Adjusting your senior’s sleep hygiene habits and her daily routine may be able to help her manage insomnia. Make sure you talk to her doctor and consider bringing in a caregiver to offer her extra help with getting things done during the day.
If you or an aging loved one are considering a Caregiver in Havertown, PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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