When entering old age, sleep is no longer as easy as when young. Many elderly people often have difficulty sleeping, sleep intermittently, or wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back asleep. These symptoms seem normal with age, but in fact, they pose many potential health risks, especially high blood pressure. Not getting enough sleep, not sleeping deeply, day after day can cause blood pressure to gradually increase silently, without the person involved knowing.
Therefore, taking care of sleep is something that cannot be taken lightly if you want to maintain blood pressure at a safe level. And to do that, the elderly can completely apply many simple but very effective measures, helping to sleep better, deeper every night, thereby improving the quality of life and preventing the risk of high blood pressure.
The following methods may help the elderly sleep better and deeper:
1. Practice the habit of going to bed on time and waking up on time
A seemingly small but extremely important thing is to develop the habit of going to bed on time every night and waking up at a fixed time every morning. This helps the body establish a stable biological rhythm, thereby making the process of falling asleep easier. Once used to this time, the body will automatically “signal” it is time to rest, thereby reducing the state of tossing and turning.
Many elderly people have the habit of sleeping a lot during the day, leading to difficulty sleeping at night. Therefore, if you need to take a nap at noon, a short nap of about 20-30 minutes is enough. Avoid sleeping too long because it will disrupt the biological rhythm.
2. The bedroom space needs to be quiet and airy
The surrounding environment has a great influence on the quality of sleep, especially for the elderly. A room that is too bright, too noisy or stuffy will easily interrupt sleep, causing the elderly to not sleep deeply and wake up easily in the middle of the night.
Create a comfortable sleeping space, soft light, clean bed, soft pillows, cool room temperature. Avoid letting the phone ring, the TV or sounds from outside disturb. A quiet sleep is the foundation for healthy blood pressure.
3. Avoid eating too much or drinking too much water before going to bed
Older people should have a light dinner, should not eat too much starch, sugar or fat in the evening because it will cause bloating, indigestion and difficulty sleeping. Dinner should be eaten about 2-3 hours before bedtime so that the body has time to digest and enter a state of relaxation.
In addition, drinking too much water before going to bed also causes the elderly to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, thereby interrupting sleep. Adjust the amount of water you drink reasonably during the day, and limit drinking water after 7 pm.
4. Light exercise during the day to help sleep better at night
One of the reasons why the elderly have difficulty sleeping is due to lack of exercise, the body lacks energy to expend, so at night they are still “awake”. To overcome this, the elderly should maintain light physical activities every day such as walking, aerobics, light yoga, or gardening.
These activities not only help the body stay flexible and blood circulate, but also help the spirit relax, making it easier to fall into a deeper sleep at night. However, you should not exercise too close to bedtime because it will increase your heart rate, making it harder to sleep.
5. Take a warm bath and soak your feet before bed
A good habit for sleep is to take a warm bath or soak your feet in warm water before bed. This helps relax the whole body, reduce muscle fatigue, stimulate blood circulation and calm the nervous system, thereby making it easier to fall asleep.
You can add ginger, salt, or a few drops of essential oil to the foot bath to increase the feeling of relaxation. This is a simple, inexpensive therapy but brings very positive effects, especially for the elderly with prolonged sleep disorders.
6. Keep your mind light, avoid anxiety
Stress and worry are the biggest enemies of sleep. The elderly often worry about past events or worry about their children and grandchildren, leading to chronic insomnia.
Learn to let go of unnecessary things and keep your mind light. Before going to bed, take a few minutes to breathe deeply, read a book, listen to soft music or meditate to relax your mind. When your mind is relaxed, sleep will come more naturally.
7. Drink some herbal teas to aid sleep
Some natural teas such as chamomile tea, lotus heart tea, passionflower tea or warm water mixed with honey can help the elderly sleep more easily. These teas have mild sedative properties, helping to relieve stress and promote deep sleep. However, be careful not to drink them too close to bedtime to avoid nocturia. Also, choose pure herbal teas and avoid teas that contain stimulants or caffeine.
8. Avoid using electronic devices before going to bed
Blue light from phones, computers, and televisions can reduce the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. Therefore, the elderly should minimize the use of these devices before going to bed. Instead of watching TV too late or relaxing, choose gentle activities such as listening to soft music, reading books, or sitting quietly to help the body fall asleep easily.
In short, sleep is not only a biological need but also an essential part of protecting overall health, especially cardiovascular health and blood pressure in the elderly. Without the need for complicated drugs, just a little change in lifestyle, a little attention to sleep, the elderly can completely have good sleep, thereby controlling blood pressure and living happily and healthily every day.
