Get Moving During the Day, Sleep at Night

There is a link between the activities you do during the day, the food you eat and the calming techniques you have, to the amount of sound sleep. Sierra View Homes‘ new “Get Moving Program” teaches the important aspect of good sleep. Sleep helps repair damage, clears the debris in the brain, and enhances healthy aging. Actions in the brain while we sleep is a process of taking out the trash and repairing damage that can lead to serious illness. Nearly all brain repair occurs during sleep. Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than they need. Falling asleep is a frequent complaint. Studies show that we all should get eight hours of sleep each night no matter what age we are. This amount of sleep allows our bodies to feel rested and our minds to be more fully alert during the day. Since many of us are not able to get a full night’s rest, we have a very good excuse for being irritable, tired and forgetful during the day.

Researchers are finding that our sleep pattern changes throughout our adult life span. Our sleep at age 70 is not as sound as a 20-year old. As we age, our bodies and our health also change and we tend to have more issues that can disrupt sleep. Older individuals tend to get sleepy earlier in the evening and dozing in the evening can lead to trouble falling asleep when it is time to go to bed for the night. Drinking alcohol and caffeine, as well as smoking in the later part of the day, can trigger sleep problems. Sleep disturbances happen mostly because of illnesses or the medications used to treat them. It makes sense that the more disorders one has, the harder it is to get a good night’s sleep.

Pain is a common cause of disrupted sleep. It can keep one from falling asleep or be the thing that wakes you up in the night. Not sleeping well during the night can lead to increased pain the next day. Lack of sleep keeps us from dealing well with pain issues.

Some medical issues come with medications that cause sleep problems. Many medications have stimulating effects that can keep you from falling asleep. Diuretics, for example, when used to treat water retention, causes repeated periods of waking up to go to the bathroom.

Sleep Apnea is a source of sleeping difficulty. People with sleep apnea tend to snore loudly, stop breathing for 10-30 seconds and then start breathing with a gasp. This routine can happen repeatedly throughout the night. Each time the breathing starts again the person wakes up for a little while. Sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness and cause high blood pressure and heart disease to worsen. It can be treated with some lifestyle changes or with the “continuous positive airway pressure” CPAP machine. Sometimes surgery can help, but it is important to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing these problems.

Another issue that can keep people awake is Restless Leg Syndrome. People who have a creepy-crawly feeling especially in the legs could be experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome. This feeling makes you want to move around. It tends to get worse in the evenings as your body is starting to relax for sleep. You could also have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. A person with this disorder kicks one or both legs many times during sleep. Treatment that could help for these disorders is taking a hot, or cold bath,

placing hot, or cold packs on your legs, relaxation techniques or massaging the legs and feet.

If daytime sleepiness becomes excessive it may be time to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will try to pinpoint what is keeping you from a good night’s sleep. He/she may prescribe medication to help you get back into a routine for a good night’s sleep. The doctor may prescribe sleep aides to help you get to sleep. It is important to remember that those sleep aides can prove to be addicting and cause a worse problem in the end. Be sure to work with your doctor following directions regarding the sleep aides.

Getting adequate sleep requires both sufficient total sleep time and enough deep sleep. It is important to be mindful of what keeps us from getting that sleep. Establishing a bedtime routine that includes relaxation and going to bed at the same time every night, avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine in the late afternoon and doing some exercise every day helps one fall asleep more easily. Taking naps more than 20 minutes in length or dozing in the evening may keep you from falling asleep easily. Keep a diary of your sleep habits to determine if there are lifestyle changes you could make to improve your quality of sleep.

So, remember your childhood – a time when you did not have health issues, stress or interruptions that kept you from getting a good night’s rest. We all need to have a good night in order to have a great day. Chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of health problems, so if you are having trouble sleeping, I encourage you to keep a diary, adjust your routine to encourage sleep, and see your doctor if you have excessive sleepiness during the day. A good night’s sleep brings great days, good health and successful aging so it pays to take the time to assess your sleep habits to have a good night’s sleep.