Of all the changes you’ll experience as you age, disturbances to your sleeping patterns can be particularly troublesome. You may notice you’re going to bed earlier in the evening, waking up earlier in the morning, having trouble falling asleep at all, or getting less restful sleep, even when you sleep through the night. Minor adjustments to your sleeping schedule may not present a serious health issue, and in fact, some people simply need more or less sleep every night to function during the day. However, if you notice you’re regularly experiencing problems with your sleep or you’re always feeling tired and irritable, it may be time to pay attention to your lifestyle and the habits that can affect your ability to sleep.

It’s important to examine a variety of aspects that could be affecting your sleep. Here are some questions to help guide you through the most common barriers to a good night’s sleep as well as strategies for overcoming them and getting the rest you need.

Is Your Diet Disrupting Your Sleep?

Although the causes of poor sleep aren’t always clearly associated with what we eat and drink, your diet can affect your sleep in both subtle and major ways. Dietary issues may be caused by something as simple as eating too much before bed, which can lead to indigestion and sleeplessness. Eating foods like dairy, sweets, and spicy foods too close to falling asleep can also cause indigestion.

It’s also possible that your diet is contributing to a separate condition that is interrupting your sleep. For example, there are a number of foods you should avoid if you suffer from incontinence or bed wetting. Alcohol contributes to a number of health-related issues and acts as a natural laxative, making it more difficult to know when you need to use the bathroom. Alcohol can also cause dizziness and dehydration, which also takes away from the quality of your sleep.

Caffeine in food and drinks can also stimulate your bladder and bowels, disrupting your sleep. Of course, caffeine is also known and praised for its ability to help people stay awake and alert. While this might be great first thing in the morning, it’s best to avoid caffeine late in the day. It’s worth noting that caffeine affects people differently. Even if your last cup of coffee was at 10 in the morning, the waking effects could still linger hours later. It may be worth leaving caffeine out of your diet completely in order to identify a problem with your sleep cycle.

There are also some foods that may help you get to sleep. Many lean proteins are high in tryptophan, which increases serotonin levels and helps to promote good sleep. While you’ll want to avoid eating too much of anything before bed, this could be as simple as a spoonful of peanut butter, an egg, or low-fat cheese on crackers. A warm cup of decaffeinated herbal tea like chamomile or peppermint can also help you to relax before bed.

How Are Your Surroundings Affecting Your Sleep?

Aside from your diet, there are many external factors that can contribute to a poor night’s sleep. For example, do you fall asleep with the television on? While it may be comforting to fall asleep to the voices and sounds of a television program, the constant visual and auditory stimulation might prevent you from reaching a deep sleep.

Similarly, light sources like lamps, digital clocks, cell phones, and tablets can suppress your body’s ability to produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. It’s best to avoid bright light sources at least an hour before going to bed. However, you can also face problems if you don’t get enough sunlight during the day. You should aim to get at least two hours of sunlight exposure per day or use a light therapy box and maintain a regular sleep cycle.

Sometimes it’s difficult to look in the most obvious places, and your mattress could have a major impact on your sleeping patterns. Many seniors are reluctant to invest in a new mattress. You may wonder if it can make that much of a difference to your quality of sleep, and the process of shopping for a new bed can seem complicated and daunting. Yet, if you’re turning over often during the night, waking up with aches and pains, or waking from a full night’s sleep without feeling rested, it’s most likely time to look into a new mattress. Mattress technologies have developed to meet the specific needs of seniors, helping you to maintain proper spine alignment, relieve pressure points, regulate body temperature, and adjust to different elevations and levels of firmness.

Other environmental factors that might interfere with your quality of sleep include the temperature in your room and noises, like a barking dog, a ringing telephone, and the hum produced by some heating and cooling systems as well as appliances like a refrigerator. You may not be able to prevent some of these but tracing the source of your discomfort will give you the best chance to find a solution to your sleep problems.

Are You Active Enough During the Day?

It may seem difficult to pick up an exercise routine, especially if you’re already tired from poor quality sleep. However, even light amounts of aerobic activity can release chemicals in your body that will allow you to experience more restful sleep. You should talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness program, but there are plenty of exercise options, even for seniors with mobility issues. For example, swimming and other water exercises provide low-impact cardio options. You might also try dancing, golfing, cycling, jogging, or simply walking. Though initially you may feel tired when beginning a new exercise routine, by spending energy during the day, you’ll achieve a deeper level of sleep at night and feel better the next day.

Incorporating exercise isn’t the only activity that can affect your sleep. Socializing with others helps to reduce stress, depression, high blood pressure, and improve your overall mood, which can allow you to relax and sleep well at night. This could involve talking with your family or friends, or you could join a volunteer group, take adult education classes, or join a group to play cards and other games on a regular basis. If stress is keeping you awake, interacting with others is a great way to quiet the anxious and depressed thoughts that keep you awake at night.

Are Other Health Conditions Affecting Your Sleep?

Depression, anxiety, acid reflux, sleep apnea, breathing issues, restless leg syndrome, joint pain, sleepwalking, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease can all pose a serious threat to your ability to sleep. It’s possible that you may not even be aware of these issues, or you might disregard their effects on different areas of your life. It’s important to acknowledge and treat these underlying conditions, not only to aid more restful sleep but to avoid further complications that might arise from an untreated condition.

Likewise, certain medications could also cause side effects that might keep you awake. It’s important to bring up sleep problems with your doctor in order to rule out the chance that a medication is the root of your sleep troubles.

Getting a proper night’s sleep is an essential part of maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle, including both mental and physical health. While these strategies may be enough to get your sleep schedule back on track, it’s a good idea to seek professional help throughout the process, especially if the problems persist. Medical professionals and sleep specialists may offer more personalized solutions, which could include medications or a long-term plan to monitor your sleeping patterns. Keeping a journal of your sleep issues can help to track problems that repeat night after night and having a written record may make it easier to remember these specifics when you talk with a doctor.

You deserve a good night’s sleep. The sooner you identify any disturbances to your sleep cycle, the sooner you’ll be able to find a solution and put an end to the aches, pains, and mental strain of low-quality sleep.

 

Brooke Faulkner is a senior rights advocate and mother of two in the Pacific Northwest. She loves spending time with friends and family at the assisted living facility near her home, and has collected more stories there than she can count.