How Seniors Can Get Better Sleep: 8 Tips for Quality Rest

If you or a loved one is struggling to get to or stay asleep, you’re not alone. Research shows that nearly half of Australian adults struggle with two or more sleep-related problems.

If this sounds like you, you’ll also likely understand the side effects of a lack of sleep. Fortunately, this article will explore not only the causes of sleep problems as you age but also practical, easy-to-follow sleep tips specifically for retirees and senior-aged adults.

How Much Sleep Do Older Adults Need?

As with those in their twenties, for older adults, it is preferable to get approximately 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. However, it is worth noting that although the amount of sleep you need doesn’t change as you age, it is harder for older adults to get the kind of consistent, deep sleep that leaves you feeling well-rested. This happens for a range of reasons, which we’ll explore in depth below.

The Importance of A Good Night’s Sleep

The importance of a good night’s sleep has been drilled into our brains; better mental health, enhanced immunity, better heart health, sharper cognitive function, reduced risk of chronic conditions, the list goes on. But for older adults, it’s a little more complex than that. It’s not because sleep is necessarily more important for older adults than for younger people, but the effects of poor sleep can be more pronounced.

Why? Because:

Their physical health is more vulnerable.
Their cognitive health is at higher risk.
Their emotional well-being is more fragile.
They are more at risk of accidents that impact their safety and independence.

Common Causes of Poor Sleep as You Age

Our relationship to sleep changes as we age for numerous reasons, including:

Reduced Melatonin: Melatonin is a sleep hormone that plays a significant role in regulating your body’s circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). As you age, your body naturally produces less melatonin, which can negatively affect your circadian rhythm and sleep quality.
Poor Sleep Habits: As adults, we tend to develop poor sleep habits, such as irregular sleep schedules, late-night screen use or snacking, to name a few. These habits are hard to break and can result in difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, and daytime fatigue.
Pain or Medical Conditions: Various chronic conditions make it harder to sleep, for example, arthritis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson’s, just to name a few. Older individuals are also more likely to have comorbid diseases, meaning they may be managing multiple health conditions at the same time, which can further disrupt sleep.
Medications: Many medications seniors take to manage chronic conditions can also impact their quality of sleep as a side effect of taking them.
Lack of Exercise: There is a decent amount of science around this concept, but the general gist of it is that if you’re sedentary or don’t do enough physical activity, you’re likely to not feel tired at night.
Stress, Depression, or Anxiety: Various life changes can bring on feelings of uncertainty and loneliness that can result in stress, depression or anxiety, all of which can impact your sleep routine and sleep quality.

Sleep Tips for Seniors

Everyone is different, which is why it really depends on the cause of your sleep problems as to what will fix them. However, in general, the following recommendations can go a long way toward promoting better sleep for seniors.

Exercise

Living a sedentary lifestyle without physical activity can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. The general science behind it is that moving your body during the day regulates your body clock, lowers stress hormones, and helps your body wind down more effectively at night.

Now we’re not saying you have to be running marathons to get a good night’s sleep. In fact;

For adults under 65, the Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing recommends either:
- 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity
- 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity
For individuals over 65, at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise on most days is ideal.

For more information about the benefits of physical activity and appropriate forms of exercise for your age, head to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Learn to Nap Responsibly

To keep naps effective and prevent them from impacting your nighttime rest, we recommend:

Keeping Naps Short: Keep naps to a maximum of 10-30 minutes; any longer and the risk of grogginess (sleep inertia) increases.
Napping in the Early Afternoon: Aligning your nap with your body’s natural energy slump, which occurs between 1pm and 3pm, ensures it won’t interfere with your nighttime sleep.
Napping in an Environment Conducive to Rest: Nap in a quiet, dark room (or wear an eye mask) on a comfortable sofa or bed, away from distractions.
Setting an Alarm: This is especially important for short daytime naps to prevent yourself from oversleeping.

Avoid Screens Before Bed

We’ve all been told the importance of no screens before bed. But what is the reason why? Remember the hormone, Melatonin, that we mentioned earlier, the one that is released as evening falls and is vital for regulating our body’s circadian rhythm?

Well, the blue light emitted by our electronic devices has been shown to delay or reduce the production and release of Melatonin in the evening, decreasing the natural feeling of sleepiness we usually get before bed. More than just this, blue light can also affect your sleep quality by reducing the time you spend in slow-wave and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, both of which are vital sleep stages for cognitive function and overall well-being.

Avoid Heavy Meals Right Before Bed

Eating and sleeping are two vital functions for our bodies, and it’s essential we get enough of both, as well as the right kinds. However, it is important to note that eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime can prolong the time it takes for you to fall asleep and lead to fragmented sleep, negatively affecting sleep quality.

Why does this happen, though? When you eat a heavy meal, your body has to work harder to digest large or rich foods like carbohydrates, keeping it more “alert” when it should be winding down. More than just this, though, heavy meals, like those high in sugar or fat, can cause fluctuations in blood sugar and energy levels that may interfere with the quality of deep restorative sleep. Most experts recommend eating your last meal of the day 2 hours before bedtime, as it gives your body enough time to fully digest your food.

We understand that sometimes life gets in the way, you may be working late and forget to eat, or you’ve just come home from an event, and you’re hungry. In this case, stick to steamed or raw veggies or fruit that satisfy your hunger or sweet tooth without doing too much damage.

Avoid Substances like Coffee, Tobacco, & Alcohol

Both caffeine and tobacco are stimulants, which increase alertness, and having either of these two close to your bedtime can, you guessed it, negatively impact your ability to wind down and stay asleep. But how? Caffeine blocks sleep-inducing chemicals like adenosine, which can make it harder to fall asleep, reduce total sleep time and disrupt restorative sleep. Similarly, the nicotine in tobacco stimulates the nervous system, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity, which not only goes against the natural timing of our circadian rhythm but can also lead to lighter, more fragmented sleep.

While alcohol is a depressant and can help you fall asleep, it can decrease the amount of time you spend in restorative sleep stages like wave sleep and REM sleep, which are both incredibly important and play a vital role in feeling both physically and mentally refreshed when you wake up. As a result, while you may fall asleep earlier when drinking alcohol before bed, you’re likely to wake up not feeling very well rested.

Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule

The circadian rhythm is the pattern your body follows throughout a 24-hour period. It is like a mini conductor inside your body, controlling processes such as hormone release and digestion, and telling you when to wake and when to sleep.

Your circadian rhythm is natural and almost automatic, but it also requires your support to stay in sync, especially when it gets thrown off by things like jet lag. A few things you can do to support your circadian rhythm and encourage a more consistent sleep schedule are:

Always aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Set a consistent wake-up alarm, but remember the importance of the first point.
Align as closely as possible to day and night as your schedule allows.
When you wake up, expose yourself to natural light to reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Your body needs time to get used to a new sleep schedule, which is why you should aim to make gradual adjustments over several days or even weeks. We recommend shifting your bedtime and wake-up time by small increments (15-30 mins) until you reach your desired schedule.

Develop a Healthy Bedtime Routine

You’ve probably heard about the importance of sleep hygiene, but for the elderly, it becomes especially crucial as sleep patterns naturally change as we age.

Sleep hygiene is the set of habits you practice throughout the day and the routines you follow before bed that help your body wind down and promote consistent restorative sleep.

A few simple habits that can help you practice good sleep hygiene are:

Turn off or reduce artificial lighting.
Limit use of blue light-emitting electronics.
Limit consumption of heavy meals, alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.
Consider a caffeine-free tea, e.g., peppermint tea or a sleepy tea variation.
Do things that relax you, e.g., meditation, breathing exercises, reading, listening to calming music.
Consider a warm bath or shower (the cooling down that occurs after a bath or shower mimics the natural drop in core temperature needed to initiate sleep).

Create An Environment Conducive to Sleep

Another crucial element in promoting better sleep for seniors is to ensure the sleeping environment (the bedroom) is conducive to restful, uninterrupted, and restorative sleep. We recommend:

Keeping your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark.
Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Minimising noise and using blackout curtains or a sleep mask if needed.
Reserving your bed for sleep (and intimacy) only. Avoid working or scrolling in bed.

More About Healthy Ageing

Healthy ageing isn’t just about getting enough sleep; it’s also about looking after your body, mind, and social wellbeing. If you’d like some practical tips and ideas to help you stay healthy and active as you get older, have a look at these guides:

Live Life to the Fullest at The Village Retirement Group

At The Village, we’re all about healthy ageing and supporting our residents through their retirement journey by promoting wellness, social connection, and a fulfilling lifestyle (whatever that looks like). We do this by offering a range of supports and programs that encourage active living, foster meaningful connections, and help residents maintain independence while enjoying life to the fullest.

If you would like to learn more about The Village or any of our retirement communities, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

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