What Might Be Causing Insomnia for Your Elder Loved One?
Elder Care Deerfield Beach FL
Having a difficult time sleeping isn’t fun for anyone, but if it’s happening to your elder loved one, it can affect you, too. As her family caregiver, it’s important to get to the bottom of your loved one’s insomnia issues so you can help her resolve them.
Short-term Insomnia Causes
Shorter-term insomnia might include a temporary patch of sleepless nights for your elder loved one. It also might be used to describe intermittent problems with sleep that your loved one is having. Some of the causes of short-term insomnia can include changes to your elder loved one’s medication, environmental issues such as noise, or even stress. Sometimes the smallest changes can make it difficult for your loved one to sleep properly. Short-term insomnia might cause your loved one to have an unpredictable sleep schedule, which can ultimately make the situation more difficult.
Long-term Insomnia Causes
Long-term insomnia is a much more invasive type of insomnia. This is a form of insomnia in which your loved one consistently has a difficult time sleeping. Some of the reasons for this can include depression, anxiety, and even chronic issues with pain. Health issues can even cause your loved one to have difficulty sleeping well. Breathing problems, acid reflux, and dementia can all contribute to insomnia. If your loved one has been having sleeping issues for a longer period of time, she might be reluctant to try to solve the problem because it feels like it’s always been there.
What You Can Do for Your Elder Loved One
The first step in managing your elder loved one’s insomnia is to talk with her doctor. Medication is not always the best step to take in the beginning, but your loved one’s doctor has other solutions in his bag that he can try first. If you’re not already using a sleep schedule including regular bedtimes and wakeup times with your loved one, now might be the time to start. A sleep diary can also help you and your loved one’s doctor to figure out the more subtle contributing factors to your loved one’s sleep issues.
Work with your loved one’s entire care team, including other family members and her elder care providers, to stick to whatever plan works to help her get the sleep that she needs.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care Services in Deerfield Beach FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.
