5 Ways To Overcome Insomnia In The Eldery

Overcoming insomnia in the elderly is something that must be done so that the elderly remain healthy and fit. 

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Basically, a person needs between 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day. Having adequate and regular sleep patterns will have a good effect on physical and mental health.

However, there are some people who have difficulty sleeping due to certain conditions such as insomnia or due to age (elderly). In addition to insomnia, certain health conditions can also cause elderly to have trouble sleeping.

Causes of Difficulty Sleeping (Insomnia) in the Elderly

The older a person gets, the brain function will decrease, resulting in difficulty sleeping. 

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Here are 6 reasons why parents, especially the elderly, have difficulty sleeping.

• Have irregular sleeping hours.
• Have a medical problem.
• Have a sleep disorder.
• Effect of drug use.
• Psychological disorders or stress.
• Lack of physical activity.

Then how to overcome insomnia in the elderly, especially at night? Here are some tips so that the elderly can fall asleep easily without using sleeping pills.

How to Overcome Insomnia in the Elderly

If not treated immediately, this condition can cause new health problems such as stress, depression or even worsen health conditions. Some of the following efforts you can do to have quality sleep hours.

1. Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle

Lifestyle affects a person's sleep quality, therefore start to implement a healthy lifestyle such as regularly exercising every day for at least 30 minutes.

Exercise has been shown to increase the production of the hormone serotonin, which is useful for emotional control. As a result, sleep is easier and better quality.

Several types of sports are suitable for the elderly such as gymnastics, yoga, healthy walks, swimming and cycling.

2. Eat Healthy Food

The elderly are strongly encouraged to consume healthy foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and fish or low-fat meats.

It is also important to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages or drinks containing caffeine.

Vitamins for the elderly who have trouble sleeping

Some types of vitamins to overcome the following insomnia can be consumed by the elderly:

• Vitamin A.
• Vitamin C.
• Vitamin B12.
• Vitamin D

3. Practice a consistent bedtime

Know in advance the hours you need to rest or sleep, then set your sleeping hours. This is quite difficult considering that at the beginning of the experiment there will be difficulties.

What if you can apply sleep hours consistently, it can help overcome the problem of insomnia.

4. Make the Environment Comfortable

To get good quality sleep, set the environment as comfortable as possible. One of them is a clean, fragrant and comfortable bed to sleep on.

In addition, choose a room that is far from sounds that can interfere with sleep. Generally, the elderly are more sensitive to sound.

5. Consult a Doctor

What if all efforts or ways to overcome insomnia in the elderly do not work. There is nothing wrong with consulting a doctor.

Doctors can diagnose the cause of insomnia in the elderly as well as provide the best solution to overcome this.