Sleep is one of the most important things that seniors can do to protect their health. But, many seniors aren’t getting enough sleep or getting enough quality sleep. When seniors don’t get enough sleep they can experience cognitive decline, dizziness or unsteadiness on their feet, fatigue, and other health problems.
If your mom or dad is having trouble sleeping one of the possible causes could be loneliness. A huge number of seniors who live alone are chronically lonely. Loneliness can have a serious impact on their physical and mental health, like causing sleep disturbances.
Companion care at home can help your mom or dad avoid becoming lonely at home. If you can’t spend as much time as you’d like with your mom or dad, companion care is a great alternative. With companion care your mom or dad gets regular visits from a friend who can hang out with them, share conversations, share meals, and do activities so that your mom or dad doesn’t feel lonely.
Some of the ways that being lonely can hurt your mom or dad’s sleeping patterns and quality of sleep are:
Increased Stress and Anxiety
Loneliness often leads to stress and anxiety. Seniors who feel isolated may worry more or overthink at night. This heightened stress makes it hard to relax and fall asleep. Over time, these racing thoughts can lead to insomnia.
If your mom or dad is prone to feeling anxious, companion care can help lower their anxiety. Being socially isolated can make seniors who are already anxious even more anxious.
Higher Risk of Depression
Loneliness is closely linked to depression. Depression can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This makes seniors feel tired during the day but restless at night. Depression may also cause early waking or an inability to fall back asleep.
If your mom or dad is feeling socially connected and cared for it can lower their risk of depression and improve the quality of their sleep.
Poor Sleep Quality
Seniors who are lonely may experience poor-quality sleep. Even if your mom or dad is sleeping for several hours at night, they may not feel rested. Loneliness can affect deep sleep stages, where the body repairs itself. Without enough deep sleep, seniors may wake up feeling groggy and fatigued. Restorative sleep is essential for overall health.
Regular visits from a companion can reassure your mom or dad that people care about them and keep them connected to the world. That can improve their quality of sleep and help them get the restorative sleep they need.
Disrupted Routine
Loneliness can disrupt daily routines, which impacts sleep. Without regular social interactions, seniors might nap too much during the day. They may also lose track of time and delay bedtime. An inconsistent sleep schedule confuses the body’s internal clock.
When your mom or dad gets regular visits from a companion it will establish a routine for them which will help them stay oriented and keep a regular sleep schedule.
Increased Nighttime Waking
Seniors who feel lonely may wake up more often during the night. Negative emotions, like sadness, can trigger lighter sleep. They may wake up feeling restless or thinking about their isolation. These frequent interruptions make it hard to get enough restorative sleep. Emotional support from you or a companion can reduce these nighttime disturbances.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Companion Care at Home in Wilton, CT, please contact the caring staff at Elderly Caregivers LLC. today at (203) 628-7438
- How Loneliness Can Affect Your Senior Parent’s Sleep - December 4, 2024
- What Do Families Need to Know About Hospital to Home Transition Care? - November 20, 2024
- Six Signs Seniors Need 24-hour Home Care - November 7, 2024
