Did you know that there are many factors affecting a senior’s ability to get a good night’s sleep? And it is rarely – although it can be a factor – your age. Below are some of the things you can do to improve your sleeping habits:
· Avoid blue light. It is because blue light inhibits melatonin production. Melatonin is “sleep hormone” responsible for your body’s ability to recognize its own circadian rhythm or your body clock which tells you when to sleep and when to be at your most active. Sounds complicated huh? In simpler words, you just need to turn off anything that emits blue light such as your TV screen, your mobile phone and even your digital clock because it is interfering with your sleep hormones.
· Avoid naps. While power naps are highly recommended for people who are always on the go, seniors who enjoy a much slower phase in life need not bother with naps as it will only confuse their body clocks.
· Invest in good pillows and mattresses. Ever wonder why sleeping gets you all sore in the morning? It is because while you’re asleep, your body gets into its most awkward positions without you knowing it. Without adequate support, your body is prone to developing back pains and stiff neck upon waking up.
· Fight the bugs. It is never comfortable sleeping on top of a bug-infested bed, knowing you’ll be an open buffet as soon as you sing your first snore! Bed bugs are hateful little creatures and they shouldn’t be in your room, much less in your bed! If you suspect your bed to be infested then might as well throw your bed out the window!
· Adjust temperature to your most comfortable level. Too cold will only disrupt sleep. Really, do you think you can sleep while bothering with your cold feet?
· Train your body clock. It is actually possible for you to train your body to be sleeping and be awake at certain hours of the day. The most important thing is knowing your body for you to be able to set the right time for sleeping and waking. While the first few days would be the hardest, on good tip to practice is having your physical body out in the sun 5 minutes upon waking up. This will orient your body to your designated “wake” hours.
· Manage your caffeine intake. Caffeine is one good picker-upper however, coffee can be quite addicting too (how else can Starbucks be famous at all hours of the day if coffee wasn’t addictive?) Certainly it can create havoc on your body clock so if you are prone to being wide awake upon 2 cups of coffee a day, might as well steer clear of it after lunch time.