Moves for Seniors Blog

Moving at any age can cause stress, leading to poor sleep habits, but for seniors it only adds to their trouble sleeping. The first step to figuring out how to go to sleep is to identify the problem.

Identify the Route of Your Sleep Problems

First you need to determine what exactly is causing your sleep problems. It could be multiple problems, all related to your senior move, or maybe it is something else. Here are some common reasons why you can’t sleep.

• Stress – Are you under extra stress? Most likely this answer is a yes, because moving/downsizing is stressful.

• Depressed/ Feeling Hopeless – This is a very common cause of insomnia. As a moving senior you have left your home you’ve lived in for over 50 years. This can be depressing as well as upsetting. Not only that, but you may feel hopeless, as though you will never feel at home again.

• Chronic Anxiety – There are so many things to sell, donate and move to your new home. Your anxiety levels are extremely high.

• Traumatic Experience – This could be a death in the family, a fire, or another traumatic reason you were forced to leave your home.

• New Medications – You are now taking medication to help with your depression or anxiety of moving, which are helping but they are causing insomnia.

Another reason that you are unable to sleep could be due to your poor daytime habits. Your daytime habits directly affect your nighttime sleep, therefore in order to improve your sleeping, you should try adding the following to your routine.

Ways to Improve Your Daily Routine for Better Sleep

• Keep Busy – Staying busy during the day will help allow your body to relax at night. Join a social activity, become a member of card club or visit family members.

• Stay Positive – With a better outlook on life you will have a clear mind to sleep at night. Click here for relaxation tips.

• Exercise – Not only will exercise help tire you out for the night, it also releases endorphins to boost your mood and will also reduce stress and depression.

• Vitamin D – Get outside and let your body take in some sun. Sun helps to regulate your melatonin and will in turn act as a natural sleep aid. Try to get at least 2 hours in the sun. This can literally be outside, or you can open up your curtains and sit your chair in the sunny spot in your home.

• Limit or Completely Eliminate Coffee, Caffeine, Alcohol and Nicotine

Once you have improved your daytime routine, it is time to prepare for sleep. Below are things to remember when getting ready for bed.

Preparing to Fall Asleep

• Boost Your Melatonin – Melatonin is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. As stated above, getting sun helps to regulate melatonin and you can increase it at night by using lower voltage light bulbs and by turning off electronics an hour before you plan to go to sleep.

• Read with Low Light – If you like to read before bed, be careful not to use high lit electronics such as an iPad.

• Fix Your Bedroom – Make sure that your bedroom is quiet, comfortable, cool and dark. Use extra dark curtains and a low lit night light (so you don’t trip in the night). Purchase a new comfortable mattress. Either purchase a ceiling fan or standing fan to stay cool while sleeping. And block out noise with a white noise maker.

• Sleep Only – Keep your computer in your office – anywhere but where you plan to sleep. Watch TV in your living room or family room. Use your bedroom only for sleeping.

• Pick the Right Clock – Clocks that are noisy or too bright can be distracting while you are trying to sleep. Find a clock that is not very bright and silent.

Another huge part of getting a good night’s sleep is to keep a routine. This is the only way that infants can sleep, the same goes for adults.

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day, even weekends. Don’t let weekends disrupt your routine.
• Go to bed when you are tired. If your body is telling you that you are tired but you think it is too early, listen to your body and go to sleep.
• Limit your intake of sleep aids – these are not meant to be a permanent fixture in your sleeping routine. Only take medication when needed or prescribed by a doctor.

And lastly, it is OK to take naps during the day. It is actually a good thing, but there are limitations. Do not let your nap go longer than 15 to 45 minutes – any longer and you could be groggy and disrupt your sleep at night. Also, take a nap in the early afternoon or again you will not be able to sleep at night. And make sure you are comfortable!

With these tips and sleeping remedies, you will be sleeping like a baby in no time!!