Are There Things Your Mom Can Do To Prevent Insomnia?

By Marina Pink | July 3, 2019 |

One out of four people develops acute insomnia every year. Estimates are that acute insomnia affects as many as 70 million people in the U.S. Of those people, 75 percent find it improves within a year. For those who end up with chronic insomnia, it can really take a toll on physical and emotional health.

Home Care in San Marino CA: Insomnia Tips

Chronic insomnia is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep at least three nights per week for at least one-quarter off the year. While it can happen at any age, there is a prevalence of insomnia in older adults.

For people with chronic insomnia, health risks include anxiety, cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. It’s important to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. To ensure that your mom does, she can try these tips.

Avoid Too Much Water Before Bedtime

Your mom wants to stay hydrated, but she needs to watch how much she drinks. If she has too much water right before bed, she’s going to end up needing to use the bathroom. This break in the sleep cycle can make it hard to get back to sleep.

Limit Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages can make it hard to stay asleep. Alcohol can help trigger deep sleep, but it also messes with your circadian rhythm. In the middle of the night, you’ll wake up and have a hard time getting back to sleep. Alcohol blocks REM sleep, which is also important if you want to wake up feeling alert and refreshed.

Avoid Naps

Napping for too long in the afternoon can make it hard to sleep at night. Instead of a long nap, your mom should set a timer and stick to 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, she needs to avoid drifting back off to sleep. She needs to get up, get some water, and go take a walk or find an appealing activity.

Create a Bedtime Routine

To get a good night’s sleep, your mom needs to create a bedtime routine that triggers her body’s drift into sleep. She could read for 30 minutes before turning out the lights. White noise in the background, a soothing scent that helps de-stress, and room darkening blinds will help her fall and stay asleep.

Take Some of the Stress Away

What stresses your mom the most? Does she feel overwhelmed trying to keep her house clean on days that her arthritis is flaring up? Has she stopped driving and can’t easily get to the doctor’s office? Caregivers help with these challenges and others.

Hire caregivers to help your mom stay active, happy, and safe. With one call, you’ll know more about pricing and services available in your mom’s hometown.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in San Marino, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

Sources:
Sciencedaily.com
Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sleepfoundation.org

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Marina Pink

Owner at Home Care Help

Marina Pink is the Owner at Home Care Help. Home Care Help is an innovator in providing services in a caring and professional manner. We have an exceptional history, spanning twenty-three years, of providing care to people in moments that matter most. It is our utmost priority to address every need in a timely manner; and, it is our goal, above all else, to give the level of support that enables our residents to have as much independence as possible with care and respect.