Does your elderly loved one have any sleep issues? There are many elderly people who experience a sleeping issue. These issues can be caused by a wide range of health conditions. Learning more about the health conditions that might be contributing to your elderly loved one’s sleep issues is the first step to helping them get their sleep schedule back on track.

Lung and Heart Conditions

There are many different lung and heart conditions that could be causing your elderly loved one to have sleep issues. These are health conditions that generally make it tough for someone to breathe properly. When trying to fall asleep, your elderly loved one may be trying to catch their breath. This can cause them to not fall asleep easily or at all on some nights. It can also cause them to wake up often during the night.

GERD

Your elderly loved one might also have gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. This is a condition that causes heartburn and other stomach-related issues. If your elderly loved one has these symptoms, they may feel nauseous or sick during the night. This could be affecting their sleep. If this is the case, there are usually medications that can be taken to reduce the symptoms, so your elderly loved one can get better sleep.

Chronic Pain

There are many health conditions that can cause chronic pain. Your elderly loved one might have scoliosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or any other chronic pain condition. Pain can keep someone up all night. If your elderly loved one can’t sleep well because of the pain they are in, you or the senior care providers they have should see what can be done to help. You may need to get your elderly loved one more comfortable bedding or even a new bed. If natural options don’t help, your elderly loved one might need to see their doctor for other treatments.

Mood Issues

There are many mood issues that may be keeping your elderly loved one up at night, as well. If your elderly loved one is anxious or depressed, their mind might be racing at night. This could be keeping them up. If it keeps bothering them, you or the senior care providers can encourage them to see a therapist and/or their doctor.

Conclusion

These are some of the health conditions that might be contributing to your elderly loved one’s sleep issues. Once you get to the bottom of their sleep issues, you can help make a plan to get your elderly loved one back into a good sleep schedule.

Sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19201722/

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior care in Burnsville, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.