How Do You Get Your Sleep?

Do you have trouble falling asleeep or staying asleep at night? Do you wake up more often in the night than you used to? Do you feel rested and refreshed in the morning? Do you want to sleep better?

It is important to know that normal changes happen to our sleep patterns with age.

Normal sleep changes:
You may need less sleep. On average, older adults sleep only 5-7 hours, and maybe not all at one time It takes longer to fall asleep, as a result, you find yourself lying in bed"trying" to fall asleep. Sleep cycles change so you might not get as much deep restful sleep during the night. A short nap during the day may be helpful.

Tips for a better sleep:

1. Have a regular bedtime - go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This helps your body develop a sleep schedule. Overtime this will help you feel better rested.
2. If you wake up during the night and are unable to fall back to sleep, get up and do something relaxing like reading or watching t.v.
3. Nap with caution - limit naps to no more than 1 hour early in the afternoon so you are tired enought to sleep at night.
4. Avoid caffeine - coffee, black teas, and pop contain caffeine, which stays in your body between 6 and 12 hours. Caffeine can make you restless at night.
5. Take a warm bath before bed - it is soothing, relaxes tense muscles, and helps relieve pain.
6. Use sleeping pills with caution - they are addictive and may make you groggy. Safety becomes an issue. If there was a fire, you might not wake as easily.
7. Get outdoors - fresh air and exercise naturally help you sleep more deeply.
8. Don't let pain keep you awake - talk to your doctor if you have pain that makes it hard to sleep. Pain medication taken half an hour before bed be can help you sleep.
9. Be smoke-free - nicotine is more stimulating and addictive than coffee. Cravings in the night will disrupt your sleep.
10. Don't watch the news before bed. Watch, read, or listen light, humorous, or inspirational prior to going to bed.
11. Go for quality, not quantity - 6 hours of solid sleep is better than 8 hours of light disrupted sleep, so limit your time in bed to what you need.

Written by Jeannie Neal