Charism says sleep deprivation brings increased health risks for seniors
Sleep deprivation happens at all ages. We have much on our plates with work and life responsibility and look to the days when we will have time and can sleep without interruption. Unfortunately, changes with aging can also lead to sleep issues. Some of these sleep issues are due to physical changes in the aging brain. Other changes are external and are due to factors that we may have control over. Something as simple as taking a nap during the day can lead to insomnia or difficulty sleeping at night.
A Sleep in America poll found that some 37 million older Americans suffer from frequent sleep problems. Senior women are more likely to report sleep problems than senior men.
At the 2009 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, researchers reported that 59 percent of 892 people age 70-89 had signs of at least one recognized sleep disorder other than insomnia.
“Seniors require the same length of sleep as other adults. Chronic sleep deprivation is a society issue. Adults should have 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night. The National Institutes of Health suggests that healthy older people may require about 1.5 hours less sleep than younger adults. Regardless of the number of hours quoted, we cannot survive if we are sleep deprived,” said Mardy Chizek, RN, FNP, BSN, MBA and president of Westmont's Charism Elder Care Services. “Our body and brains require this down time to rejuvenate and rest without distraction. Dreaming is a necessary part of sleep and without adequate sleep the brain cannot dream properly,” she added.
Sleep hygiene is a term that is used by experts in the area of sleep study. This means factors that can positively or negatively impact sleep. Inadequate sleep hygiene is one of the most common causes of sleep disruption and insomnia. The do's and don'ts of sleep hygiene are the same for all adults regardless of age. Seniors may have additional issues related to medication and disease processes, but healthy sleep habits and sleep hygiene can impact positively.
Chizek recommends some positive sleep hygiene activity that includes:
1. Use the bedroom for sleep only. Do not have a television or computer in the bedroom
2. Limit or eliminate day time naps. Stay active during the day and keep your mind occupied so you are not as likely to fall asleep
3. Go to bed when you are tired. If you are overly or under tired, you may not be able to fall asleep
4. Establish a routine for bedtime including consistent time, warm bath, soft music, evening snack. Use that routine each night to establish a pattern for your sleep.
5. Keep the bedroom low lighted to enhance sleep. A night light may be helpful to prevent falls, but it should not have high illumination.
6. Take medications that can cause sleeplessness or bathroom visits early in the day so that the effects are lessened by bed time. The perfect example is water pills or diuretics that require frequent trip to the bathroom that disrupt sleep.
7. Take pain medications an hour before you go to bed. As you try to relax, the pain will become more profound leading to difficulty going to sleep. If you take the medication at bedtime, it will not have time to be absorbed and working by sleep time.
8. Limit caffeine intake. Not only at bedtime, but throughout the day. Caffeine should be eliminated after noon time. Caffeine can also impact other medications so limit its use.
9. If you are unable to go to sleep within 20 to 30 minutes, get up. Do not lie in bed for hours and watch the clock. This only exacerbates the insomnia.
10. Do not take over the counter medications for sleep. The medication which causes the drowsiness can cause adverse outcomes for seniors.
“Insomnia and sleep deprivation are serious issues. Chronic fatigue effects mood, physical body and one's ability to function in an awake world. If you are having difficulty falling asleep or awakening and being able to go back to sleep, speak to your healthcare provider. This is a problem that can be managed safely for your wellbeing,” concluded Chizek.