Learn about the two major ways sleep changes as you age.
Do you remember the days where you could fall asleep right away and sleep soundly through the night? If you’re of a certain age, this is probably no longer the case. As we age, it’s harder to fall asleep and get a solid eight hours of sleep at night. Continue reading if you’re curious as to why it’s harder for our bodies to stay asleep through the night as we get older.
Harder To Fall Asleep
A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 44 percent of older persons experience one or more symptoms of insomnia (including having a hard time falling asleep) at least a few nights a week. A major reason for this is often from stress and emotions that come with new life changes as we get older. A busy brain is one of the biggest factors affecting sleep, especially for older people going through extremely stressful situations.
The best way to combat this is to establish a bedtime ritual to calm down your body and mind. It may seem ineffective at first, but having a ritual before bed is very helpful for promoting separation between the day and night, and lets you release any emotions and thoughts from the day. Take at least an hour before bed to turn down the lights and do something that relaxes you, whether it’s a hot bath, reading in a comfy chair, or meditation. It’s also important to note that getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day is very helpful for falling asleep and staying asleep all night- however, exercising in the evenings may have reverse effects.
Lower Quality Of Sleep
Have you noticed that you aren’t sleeping as deeply as you used to? As we age, we actually spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep rather than in a deep sleep, meaning that it’s much easier to wake up through the night.
To help your body get a higher quality of sleep, limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, especially late at night. Caffeine and alcohol affect your sleep cycle and may cause a disruption to wake you up. Also, if you find noises or light wakes you up more than it used to, try sleeping with a white noise machine and sleep mask to drown out the distractions.
Sleep Better With A New Mattress From All American Mattress!
At All American Mattress, we have the expertise and great prices to help you choose the perfect pillows and foam mattress for your bedroom. We have mattresses and bed frames available made from a variety of materials to suit your needs, whatever they are. Stop by our showroom, visit us online, or give us a call at (410) 451-9006 to see how we can get your toddler sleeping through the night. We offer brand names at affordable prices, and we will always work hard to keep your whole family comfortable. For more mattress shopping tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.