Older people in particular are constantly complaining of sleep problems. Good sleep is just as important for a healthy and quality life as proper nutrition and adequate fluid intake. Below you will learn more about the possible causes of sleep disorders and tips on how to minimize or completely prevent them.
Types of sleep disorders
Continuous sleep disorder refers to a condition where you cannot fall asleep again for more than half an hour after waking up during the night. Impaired ability to fall asleep indicates a condition when it takes longer than half an hour for a person to fall asleep. These two disorders are included in the scientific concept of insomnia. In the case of unwanted sleep during the day, we are talking about severe drowsiness or so-called. hypersomnia. The rhythm of sleep is disturbed when a person cannot sleep at the usual time, for example, jet lag on a trip or the annual change of weather in spring and autumn. Other sleep disorders (parasomnias) are, for example, sleepwalking, gnashing of teeth, nightmares or even sleep speech.
Causes of sleep disorders
- People with depression are more likely to have problems with discontinuous sleep and the inability to fall asleep.
- Panic attacks and fear often have an impact on sleep. Dementia can affect the distribution of sleep during the day.
- Ensure a quiet environment without interference (eg music, TV, etc.).
- Darken the bedroom and make sure it is ventilated.
- The optimal room temperature is between 16 and 18 degrees.
- An evening walk and a glass of warm milk with honey can encourage drowsiness.
- Remove sleep-disrupting light effects (smartphone, tablet, TV, etc.) from the bedroom.
- Each person has a different sleep and a different sleep rhythm. Don’t worry if you don’t have “average” sleep. If you still can’t fall asleep after midnight, it’s still far from an alarming situation. It would be counterproductive to try to sleep at 10pm despite not being tired.
Make sure dinner is easily digestible, respect bedtime and perform evening rituals. If you still can’t fall asleep, it’s advisable to get up and focus on something else.
“One of the most exciting things we can do is go to bed. Because no one can touch our dreams. ” Edward Verrall Lucas