Tips for A Better Sleep for Over 60s

Although we spend almost ⅓ of our lives sleeping, it seems to become harder and harder as the years go on. 13% of men and 36% of women over 65 take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, and if you’re also struggling, you are not alone! The following tips for a better sleep are sure to get you snug and snoozing.

Keep In Touch With Your Health

Insomnia, and sleep difficulties can be tied to underlying health issues. If you are concerned about your sleep, check in with your GP. Additionally, just as health issues can impact how well you sleep, getting not enough can increase your susceptibility to disease and illness. Research has demonstrated that those who get less than seven hours of sleep are three times more likely to catch a cold. 

Develop a Routine

Our brains are tricky things, but establishing healthy sleep routines is one of the best ways to get your body and brain to feel tired, when it’s supposed to. Create a routine by going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday. Yes, even weekends. This supports your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which controls the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone. . Your circadian rhythm can be influenced by external factors such as light, including blue light emitted from devices. An abrupt disturbance in your circadian rhythm makes it harder to fall asleep, and stay asleep. A little trick to fool your brain is that if you are struggling to sleep, getting up and repeating your routine (eg. brushing your teeth, then reading a few pages of your book) signals to your brain that it is time to sleep. 

Create a Sleep Environment

It is super important to establish a positive sleep environment. Simply put – stop eating, working, and checking your emails in bed. Your brain needs to associate your bed, and bedroom, with sleeping, not the far more interesting things on your Facebook feed. 

Avoid Bluelight

Your phone may be the reason you are being robbed of your 8 hours. Bluelight is the natural enemy of good sleep, as we are biologically tuned to receive bluelight from the sun during the day, so it tells our bodies that it is time to be up and about. CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), LED lights, phone and computer screens all emit bluelight, making your brain think it is the middle of the day. Limit your interaction with bluelight after sundown by turning on ‘night’ mode on your devices, and avoiding LED and CFL lights once the sun goes down.

We get that a good night’s sleep is essential. One of the reasons people report losing sleep over is stress over their, or a loved one’s retirement. Let us help you sleep better with our world class retirement village, providing boutique, friendly and comfortable accommodation and health care. Get in touch today to find out more.