Tips for Getting Quality Rest and Maintaining a Healthy Sleep Routine

As we get older, getting a good night’s sleep can become increasingly more difficult. Adults, and especially seniors, often struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep, which can lead to multiple physical and mental health problems. Sleep is necessary for recharging our bodies, and it is crucial to establish healthy sleep habits to ensure that we get an optimal amount of rest each night.

Here, I’m going to talk about some tips and ideas for maintaining a healthy sleep routine, particularly if you’re a senior.

1. Stick to a Regular Sleep Schedule

The key to getting quality rest is to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day, seven days a week. The timing doesn’t have to be perfect and don’t worry if you mess up a day here and there. Doing this helps to regulate your body’s internal clock and promotes a better quality of sleep. Try to limit your naps to 45 minutes a day and avoid taking naps too close to bedtime.  In other words, a 40-minute afternoon nap can be quite beneficial!

2. Create an environment that promotes sleep

The environment in which you sleep in can have a great impact on the quality of your sleep. Consider using blackout curtains, ear plugs, or a white noise machine to block out any external noise or light that might disrupt your sleep. You can find plenty of 7-10 hour white noise, rainfall, or ocean wave videos on Youtube. Your bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet. The optimal temperature that your body needs for sleep ranges from 60-70 degrees F. However, this varies from person to person.

Turn your TV (and any other lights) off before you fall asleep, as this is very disrupting. Even those blue LED lights on most electronic devices can be disruptive. If you don’t wake up at or before the crack of dawn (like myself), use blackout curtains. Or, you can be like me and wear an eye mask. Nowadays, I can’t live without it!

If your partner/roommate snores, fusses, or talks in their sleep, you might just have to wear ear plugs or sleep in separate beds. But if you snore, this may be indicative of sleep apnea and it can ruin you quality of sleep by preventing restful REM sleep. Switching to sleeping on your side may alleviate sleep apnea symptoms for some people, especially if you are not a very overweight person. I personally have sleep apnea and making the switch from sleeping on my back to my side made ALL the difference way back in my early 20s.

3. Limit Your Intake of Stimulants

Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine can most certainly interfere with your ability to fall and remain asleep. Try to avoid taking these substances later in the day, especially the last few hours leading up to bedtime. Also, limit your alcohol intake as it can also interfere with your sleep.

Alcohol is not a stimulant, however, is still worth mentioning. While it may seem easier to fall asleep after having had a few drinks, alcohol can induce sleep apnea, therefore, inhibiting your body from reaching REM sleep. Don’t drink excessively right before bed and always remember to hydrate! Alcohol is also a diuretic which will cause more frequent urination (plus the water you hopefully drank afterward for hydration). To sum it up, the more alcohol you have in your system by the time you fall asleep, the less restful and poorer quality your sleep will be.

4. Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly can help you sleep better, especially in the long term, but try not to perform vigorous exercise close to bedtime. Perform activities that you enjoy like walking, swimming, yoga or strength training. Exercise can also help to regulate your body and reduce stress and anxiety, which frequently contribute to sleep problems.

Higher intensity exercise will increase your heart rate, blood flow, as well as your blood pressure, so maybe not a great idea for many people right before bedtime.

5. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness can help calm your mind and body and prepare you for a good night of sleep. Include these techniques into your bedtime routine to help you unwind and drift off to wonderland.

6. Avoid Eating Heavy Meals Before Bedtime

Eating heavily before bedtime can cause discomfort and indigestion, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep. The human body does not digest well in a supine, or lying down position. If you must eat before going to sleep, go with light, easy-to-digest foods. Try to avoid simple carbohydrates, red meat, added sugar and copious amounts of sodium. Sodium will raise your blood pressure, thereby causing sleeplessness.

7. Seek Help From a Professional

If you continue to struggle with sleep, even after giving it your all, consider a visit to your doctor. They could prescribe medication or suggest other treatment methods to help you get that much needed sleep. Despite your best efforts, if sleeping problems persist, you can try supplements before bed like Turmeric (+ black pepper), CBD/hemp, ashwagandha, magnesium (excluding magnesium oxide), melatonin, valerian root or even medical marijuana. It’s always wise to do your own research and talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Beginning and maintaining a healthy sleep routine, especially as a senior, requires discipline, consistency, and a bit of patience. By integrating the ideas discussed in this article, you can potentially improve the quality of your sleep significantly and reap the benefits of a good night’s rest. Remember, sleep is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle, and nobody can thrive without it. If you are recovering from debility or illness, quality sleep must be a top priority. Prioritize rest and take good care of yourself.