See if you face such a sleep problem:
? I like to doze off while watching TV, and I feel tired when I lie in bed.
? I tossed and turned in bed, but I couldn't sleep.
? It is easy to wake up in the middle of the night and wake up many times at night.
? Wake up before dawn, sleep time becomes shorter.
If you meet the above characteristics, insomnia will often find you. A survey shows that 1964 elderly people aged 65 and above, 1488 people have various symptoms of sleep disorders, with a prevalence rate of 75.8%; There are 2 12 patients who meet the diagnostic criteria of insomnia, and the prevalence rate is 10.8%.
Poor sleep will further hit the health of the elderly and accelerate the aging of human functions.
Why do old people often can't sleep?
When everyone is lying in bed and trying to sleep, it will really collapse. Young people may not be able to stand this situation, let alone the elderly.
Then, why can't the elderly always sleep and sleep well?
The physiological factor that affects the sleep of the elderly is of course age. Studies have shown that with the increase of age, cognitive impairment of the elderly will affect mood, thus affecting sleep.
There is a hormone in the human body that controls sleep-pinecone. Once old, its secretion will decrease, and its ability to regulate sleep will gradually weaken.
In addition, it is also related to other external factors:
1, sick all the year round, take medicine.
The elderly will have some basic diseases, such as palpitation, hypertension, arthritis and so on. It will affect sleep and easily lead to insomnia. Studies have proved that hypertension, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease and heart disease can all cause secondary insomnia.
Some elderly people need to take medicine all the year round because they have some basic diseases. Take some antihypertensive drugs, diuretics, antiasthmatic drugs, etc. , will affect sleep.
2. Like drinking and smoking
A person who smokes and drinks all the year round is more likely to lose sleep than a person who doesn't smoke or drink. The research report published in the Journal of Sleep pointed out that nicotine contained in cigarettes or e-cigarettes is more likely to cause sleep disorders than alcohol, especially smoking at night.
So I have been smoking and drinking, and my sleep problems are more serious when I get older!
3. Melancholy and anxiety
With the growth of age, the elderly may be prone to sad emotions because they are worried about their families and unable to cope with certain diseases. Some surveys show that people who sleep less than 6 hours are related to pessimism and self-esteem.
An old man who is often depressed, depressed and anxious will easily lose sleep if he can't get the care and care of his family for a long time and his pessimism is difficult to improve.
4, the surrounding environment
A quiet, comfortable and well-ventilated environment is suitable for the elderly to sleep. On the contrary, the noisy and messy environment is likely to cause sleep disorders for the elderly.
The humidity of the environment will also affect sleep. A study once showed that elderly people living in damp buildings are more likely to suffer from insomnia. In the sleeping environment of the elderly, the ideal humidity is 55%~60%.
Old people love to wake up in the middle of the night, probably because their blood pressure rises.
You can judge the quality of your sleep by whether you wake up easily and dream more in the middle of the night.
Some old people often wake up in the middle of the night for no reason. Many people don't take this seriously, thinking that they just want to pee in the middle of the night or are awakened by some noise.
However, there is another possibility that we must pay attention to. I often wake up in the middle of the night, which may be high blood pressure at night. Some elderly people with "three highs", atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are likely to lead to an increase in blood pressure at night.
The high blood pressure in the elderly at night shows that the blood pressure baroreceptors in his body become insensitive and cannot help the body regulate blood pressure.
In the middle of the night, the metabolic rate of various organs of the body will slow down. If the blood pressure suddenly rises at this time, it will damage the brain, heart and other organs over time.
Therefore, Xiao Jian suggested that the elderly who often wake up at night: insist on measuring blood pressure before going to bed and after waking up in the morning; Take antihypertensive drugs as prescribed.
The more sleep the elderly have, the better? Beware of extremes.
Young people like to stay up late, and less sleep is harmful to their health. Is it healthy for the elderly to sleep long enough?
Of course not! No matter young or old, the more you sleep, the better. Sleeping more or less will affect your health.
Studies have found that sleeping for more than 9 hours increases the risk of death. Once it is found that the elderly at home are sleepy, it may be a signal of disease.
? Alzheimer's disease: Decreased brain cell activity and inattention.
? Diabetic ketoacidosis: sleeping for more than 8 or 9 hours, or "unable to sleep"
? Stroke: symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue and numbness of hands and feet occur at the same time.
? Hypothyroidism: accompanied by fear of cold, increased blood lipid and decreased activity.
So, how long is the sleep time for the elderly?
According to a survey conducted by the American Cancer Society, people who sleep 7-8 hours a day live the longest. Old people sleep less than 7 hours a day, and brain aging is delayed for 2 years.
Therefore, for the elderly over 60 years old, the appropriate time for insomnia is 5.5~7 hours, and the nap time is best not to exceed 40 minutes.
Only by "internal and external conditioning" can you sleep better.
A good sleep is one of the secrets of longevity. The key for the elderly to improve their sleep is internal and external regulation. Act quickly, don't wait until you feel unwell to regret it!
Internal adjustment
1, avoid overeating at dinner
The gastrointestinal digestive function of the elderly is relatively poor. If the dinner is too full and greasy, it will easily increase the burden on the stomach and lead to insomnia. Therefore, the elderly can eat seven minutes full for dinner, eat less indigestible food, and don't eat before going to bed 1 hour.
2, avoid drinking strong tea before going to bed.
Many old people regard drinking tea as a habit, but tea contains caffeine, which will make people excited and should not be drunk before going to bed.
3. Avoid mood swings
Calm down before going to bed, adjust psychological activities by walking and sitting, and avoid abnormal mood fluctuations.
To transfer (materials or personnel) to another place or institution.
1, foot care
Soak your feet with hot water to promote blood circulation, and then massage Anming and Yongquan points on the soles of your feet to improve your sleep. 1 Before going to bed, you can massage repeatedly until the soles of your feet are hot and the acupoints feel sore, and massage for 20 minutes.
2, the choice of bedding
Old people often have joint problems, so bedding should be suitable for their physical characteristics. Old people are suitable for sleeping in wooden beds and can put a mattress with moderate thickness on it; It is best to choose a pillow with moderate elasticity such as kapok pillow, cashmere pillow and foam pillow.
3. Sleep environment
Ventilate the window before going to bed to make the indoor air fresh; Keep the bedroom dark and quiet; Keep the bedding clean and tidy, and wash it every two weeks or once a month.
Step 4 keep moving forward
Old people should stick to the habit of exercising, which is not only good for health, but also can improve the quality of sleep. Xiao Jian suggested that the elderly should exercise for more than 30 minutes three times a week, and they can choose to play badminton, table tennis, Tai Ji Chuan and square dance.