Improve Your Sleep in Recognition of “Better Sleep Month”

MediNurse, St. Louis’ premier provider of private duty nursing care and health related services for more than three decades, understands how important sleep is to a person’s overall health and well-being. In observation of Better Sleep Month, MediNurse provides suggestions for getting a better night’s rest.

Difficulty sleeping is a common complaint, shared by people of all ages! A good night’s sleep is especially significant for older adults, as sleep helps to improve concentration and memory formation, allows the body to repair cell damage and refreshes your immune system. Hence, sleep becomes important for disease prevention.

Seniors who have trouble sleeping at night are more likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness and tend to experience more falls. Insomnia can result in depression, and attention and memory problems. Insufficient sleep can also lead to serious health problems, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and breast cancer in women.

Sleep requirements vary but most healthy adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. How one feels in the morning is more important than hours slept; feeling unrested or tired all day certainly indicates a need for more sleep.

MediNurse offers these tips for achieving a good night’s sleep and improved quality of life:

Tip #1: Include some kind of physical activity or exercise in your daily routine.

Tip #2: Pay attention to your eating habits: do not go to bed on a full or empty stomach. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, particularly close to bed time, can interfere with sleep.

Tip #3: Set a sleep schedule: aim to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Initiate calming activities prior to bedtime, such as a relaxation, meditation, soft music, white noise, bathing and darkening the bedroom.

Tip #4: While mini-naps can be refreshing during the day, try to limit them to no more than 30 minutes and earlier in the afternoon. If you are unable to sleep at night after 30 minutes, consider leaving the bed and starting over.

Tip #5: Be aware of your stress and anxiety that builds during the day; work to identify the underlying problems that may be related to depression, medications or health.

Tip #6: Limit TV watching, cell phone and iPad use prior to bed!

MediNurse is St. Louis’ premier provider of private duty nursing care and health related services. MediNurse provides services that are customized to the individual needs of the client or patient and loved ones to ensure the best care possible. For more information, call 314-781-2800 or visit www.medinurse.com.