It’s not true that older people do not have to sleep a lot. Sleep helps to regenerate the body, strengthens immunity and influences our well-being. Seniors should therefore sleep enough to feel refreshed in the morning and ready for the challenges of the next day. But can you still enjoy a healthy and long sleep at a mature age? In addition, why is the weighted blanket for seniors a good solution?
Why the elderly cannot sleep?
The cause of insomnia is plenty. These can be painful, gastric problems, the need to constantly use the toilet or nervous system. The latter factor is often a frequent cause of lack of sleep.
Remember that in older people, the nervous system is already severely weakened and exploited and still subjected to stress caused by, for example, disruption of work, worsening health or lessened independence. This all affects nervous stimulation and consequently insomnia.
It is also worth mentioning that the spinning spiral itself – when we cannot sleep, we are nervous and in consequence sleep comes with even more difficulty.
The later stage of life is also the time when major neurological diseases occur – Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or depression. They may also be the cause of lack of night rest.
Weighted Blanket – a healthy sleep without medication
The Weighted Blanket, otherwise called sensory, looks no different than the usual blanket. The secret of its charitable work lies in the weight. Its weight and dimensions are perfectly matched to the weight and length of the person who uses it.
The elderly load balancer is an alternative to sleeping pills and addictive drugs. How it works? Uniform load on the body or more precisely, pressure on the deep parts of the body (muscles, joints, tendons) allows you to relax and calm down.
Significantly, the pressure of the Weighted Blankets contributes to the production of more serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which suffers from people with depression, neurosis, autistic and related disorders.
Therapists also notice much less mobility of people sleeping under the weighted blanket. It is easier to control trembling hands or other parts of the body.
The weighted blanket also increases the sense of security and reduces anxiety during sleep. It works well for Restless Legs Syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety disorders and narcolepsy, depression, and many other conditions.
How to recognize good, healthy sleep?
The quality of sleep is measured by measuring its length, and also by how long it takes to fall asleep, whether sleep is uninterrupted, calm, or provides energy for activities during the day,
It is assumed that sleep should not last less than 6.5 hours. This also applies to the elderly. You cannot give up these moments of relaxation because it is as beneficial to the body as the supplements and medications consumed by seniors each day. It is even more important than all these formulas, because it naturally provides regeneration and well-being.
Another important feature for healthy sleep is its continuity. Sleep breaks are natural, we all wake up for a fraction of a second, not even realizing it. However, it is important that the total pauses do not exceed 30 minutes.
Doctors also pay attention to whether sleep is peaceful. It is worth asking the family members whether their loved one snore or have a restless sleep.
The best test, however, remains in the well-being and energy we should gain from an effective, healthy sleep.