How Many Hours of Sleep Do Seniors Need?

Sleep is important no matter what age you are, but during some stages of life, sleep becomes even more important than others. Sleep has a huge effect on your health and it becomes especially important during your golden years. According to the National Institute on Aging, adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. They note that older adults tend to go to bed earlier than younger adults, meaning they get up a lot earlier than they used to get up when they were younger.

It may seem easy to get this many hours of sleep each night, but it is not always easy. There are various reasons why seniors may not be getting enough sleep. This can range from feeling stressed or ill, or you could be in pain or on a certain medicine with side effects that may keep you awake. 

It’s important to try and deal with sleep interruptions and issues to get the best sleep possible, so it may be a good idea to move to senior living in Peoria. We here at The Mission at Agua Fria Senior Living in Peoria understand the issues plaguing the sleep of our residents. We know that if seniors do not get a good night’s rest, they can be more irritable the next day, more forgetful or have memory problems, run the risk of having more falls or accidents, and can even feel depressed. 

We want to make sure our seniors can rest easy, so here are some tips that all seniors in senior living communities in Peoria should follow. These will help you get the seven to nine hours of sleep a night that you need:

A Sleep Schedule

If you are a parent, you probably know all about the importance of establishing a sleep schedule from raising your children. Sleep schedules don’t just work for babies; they work for adults, too! 

A consistent sleep schedule can be especially important for seniors, as it can help you achieve a full night’s sleep. It does not have to be rigid, but try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends and when you travel. Your body will adjust and get used to it, making sleep easier and more plentiful.

Watch Out for Naps

Most people enjoy a good nap, and we usually feel rejuvenated after them. Sometimes those naps can do more harm than good. If you are napping during the day but not sleeping at night, you may need to cut out napping from your daily routine. 

Napping, especially during the late afternoon or evening hours, can cause you not to be tired when it is time to go to bed, making it fairly difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. Make sure you are prioritizing sleeping at night and watching out for oversleeping during the day.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

What you are putting into your body close to bedtime can have an effect on how you sleep. Eating large meals for dinner or eating something too close to bedtime can keep you awake. Experts say you should stop eating approximately three hours before bedtime to minimize any sleep interruptions from digestion. Eating or drinking anything late in the day that has caffeine, including coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate, can also keep you awake at night. 

Drinking alcohol too late in the day can also contribute to sleep issues. Many people think that alcohol helps you fall asleep, which can be true for many people. Once you are asleep, alcohol contributes to sleep interruptions and affects your quality of sleep.

Relax Into Bedtime

Think about what relaxes you, and turn it into a bedtime routine that you can do nightly. Creating a regular relaxing routine for bedtime can trigger your brain to realize it’s bedtime and start calming down, and can also help you stay asleep. 

As you are getting ready for bed, dim the lights and use low lighting. Turn off your electronic devices, as blue light can throw off your circadian rhythm. Listening to soothing music or sounds while you are getting ready for bed works for a lot of people. Journaling, meditation, or a nice warm bath can also be a soporific part of your routine. 

Try not to drive up your energy levels in the evening. Exercise is good and something you should be doing but try not to exercise within the three hours before you are planning on going to sleep. It can make it hard to fall asleep.

Set Your Bedroom Tone

Your bedroom and bed should be for sleeping. Try to avoid watching television or using your computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, or whatever technology you have in the bedroom. As we mentioned previously, the light from any electronic device can make it hard for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Additionally, depending on what you are watching on TV or looking at on your computer can put you into a scared or worried state of mind before bed, making it harder to fall asleep. 

The temperature of your room can also play a part in keeping you awake or waking you up in the middle of the night. Make sure your bedroom temperature is set to something comfortable for you. Sleep experts recommend keeping your room between 60 to 68 degrees for optimal sleep.

We here at The Mission at Agua Fria Senior Living in Peoria know many tips and tricks to help our seniors get to sleep and stay asleep. We know how important sleep is to your health, and we want to keep our residents at their healthiest. We have staff awake and on-site while our seniors are sleeping in case anyone needs anything in the middle of the night or any issues arise. 

If you are looking for a senior living community in Peoria, reach out to us for more information or to set up a tour. We’d love to have you as a part of our community!