Just about everyone has an occasional night when they either can’t fall asleep or stay asleep. They toss and turn, and when morning comes, they feel like they’re still tired and moving through a fog. A bad night’s sleep can interfere with the entire next day. Just imagine if every night was like that. Home care providers can help seniors establish better habits and routines to improve sleep.
Why Seniors Struggle with Sleep
For some elderly individuals, every night is like that. They never sleep well, so they spend their days always feeling the repercussions of not getting the rest they need. They may try to make up for it with naps or time to rest, but that constant feeling of tiredness is like an unwelcome guest who doesn’t know when to leave.
As the body ages, natural changes can make sleep slightly more difficult. As a person ages, the body produces less growth hormone than in younger years. That decrease may mean sleep doesn’t get as deep as it used to, reducing some of the health benefits of a deep sleep. Because your elderly loved one never gets to that really deep sleep, it can also mean she’ll awaken a lot more during the night.
Some Common Things that Wake Up Seniors at Night
- Pain: Chronic pain, like arthritis, can now more easily wake your loved one up at night, making falling asleep more difficult.
- Needing to Urinate More Often: Due to bladder changes, many older adults find they need to urinate more frequently. When they can’t sleep deeply, that need often wakes them, causing them to get out of bed and making it more challenging to fall back asleep.
- Noises or Temperature Changes: Since your loved one is sleeping more lightly, she’s more likely to awaken when there is too much noise or if her room suddenly gets too cold or too warm.
- Medications: Unfortunately, some medications can make it harder to fall asleep. Talk to your loved one’s doctor if you believe this is a side effect of one of her medications to see if you can find a solution.
- Worries and Stress: Light sleep can cause the brain to fixate on problems and worries, making it harder to unwind and relax enough to help your loved one get a restful night’s sleep.
Daytime Activities That Can Help Your Loved One Sleep Better
While it can seem completely impossible in the middle of the night to fall back to sleep, there are steps your loved one can take during the day to help her sleep better at night.
Being active during the day is one of the best ways for your senior to sleep better at night. And if she can do it outside in the sun, it’s even better. Sunshine is a great regulator for the body, helping it understand when awake time is and thus, when sleep time is.
Another tip is to watch what she eats, especially at night. Heavy meals and caffeine can make it harder for the body to fall asleep.
If your loved one needs help with better sleep practices, a home care provider can help. From managing meals to arranging for outside outings, home care providers will work with your loved one during the day so she can sleep better at night.
If you or an aging loved one needs Home Care in Rancho Cordova, CA, contact A Better Living Home Care today (916) 514-7006
- How Parkinson’s Disease Home Care Can Support Nutrition and Daily Wellness - February 5, 2026
- Why Is it Important for Seniors to Keep Learning? - January 30, 2026
- Better Sleep for Seniors with Alzheimer’s: Nighttime Tips for Aging in Place - January 21, 2026
