Is your elderly loved one having sleep issues? Maybe, their overall sleep quality just isn’t great. You may find out that your elderly loved one is only getting a few hours of sleep every night. Maybe, they are waking up after sleeping for an hour and staying up for a couple of hours before falling asleep again. Did you know that sleep issues can affect overall health for senior citizens (or anyone for that matter)?
Eating Unhealthy Foods
Did you know that people who have sleep issues generally eat unhealthier than those who don’t have sleep issues? For example, if your elderly loved one can’t sleep through the night, do you think they get up and make themselves a meal at 3 a.m.? Probably not. However, they may be getting up and eating unhealthy snacks such as chips or cookies. In addition, if your elderly loved one is tired in the day because they didn’t sleep well at night, they may not have the motivation to make healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If this is the case, you may need to get 24-hour home care providers to help your elderly loved one eat healthier.
Lack of Physical Activity
Did you know that research shows people who don’t sleep well generally get less physical activity than those who have good sleep quality? This may seem off since those that sleep less have more hours awake to do physical activity. However, they are usually too tired to go for walks or to do workouts. If this is the case for your elderly loved one, it is important to try helping them to get better sleep. In addition, if you or a home care provider can get your elderly loved one to exercise daily, it may be able to help them sleep better.
Dehydration
If your elderly loved one isn’t sleeping well, it could be causing them to become dehydrated. They may be too tired during the day to remember to drink water. In addition, if they are awake a lot throughout the night, they may sleep in too long in the morning. This may be stopping them from getting the water they need in the morning. If your elderly loved one is showing signs of dehydration, you or a 24-hour home care provider should remind them to drink more water. It may be a good idea to put water bottles throughout their house. The more they see the water bottles, the more likely they are to stay hydrated.
Conclusion
There are many ways that sleep issues can affect the overall health of senior citizens. Now that you know about the effects of sleep issues, talk to your elderly loved one to see how you can help them to get better sleep.
If you or a loved one are looking for experienced 24-Hour Home Care in Arlington, VA, contact SenCura at 703-880-2547. Providing in-home senior care in Northern Virginia.
Sources