No one enjoys feeling anxious or overwhelmed, but especially not in the middle of the night. For seniors in particular, overnight anxiety can be particularly upsetting. It might even cause them to avoid sleeping when they should. 24-hour home care providers can help aging adults and family caregivers find the right solutions to help get a handle on anxiety in the middle of the night.
Why Do Seniors Get Anxious Overnight?
Seniors can get anxious at night for a variety of different reasons. If they’re sick or in pain, for instance, anxiety might be a problem. In some cases, side effects from medications can lead to anxiety that peaks overnight. Sometimes anxiety could be a result of dehydration or overstimulation from a busy day. Figuring out what is causing the anxiety sometimes involves taking a closer look at what is going on during the day.
Check Foods and Drinks for Possible Triggers
One place to start is with the foods and drinks seniors take in during the day. Sometimes the answer is the timing. Eating or drinking too close to bed can be overstimulating, leading to anxiety. Caffeine or sugar too late in the day can have a similar effect. Home care providers can help seniors to remember which foods tend to cause anxiety so they can limit them.
Look at Sleep Habits
Sleep hygiene is another potential culprit when it comes to overnight anxiety for seniors. Sleep habits, like waking up at a consistent time, have a huge impact on how well seniors manage to sleep overnight. Routines at the end of the day that soothe seniors and help them to relax, like taking a warm bath and listening to music, can help reduce anxiety before bed and while seniors sleep.
Consider Adding Movement
If seniors aren’t already enjoying some type of movement each day, they might want to check with their doctors to make sure they’re cleared to do so. Finding the right activity doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Simple movements that get the blood flowing help aging adults to burn off extra energy during the day so that they can get more solid sleep overnight, hopefully free of anxiety as well.
Establish Good Evening Routines
Good evening routines might be more than just taking a warm bath. For some seniors, evening routines might start in the late afternoon. They can include eating early enough that the meal doesn’t impact sleep overnight, engaging in fun activities that are also relaxing, and unwinding before bed. If seniors do wake up with anxiety in the middle of the night, 24-hour home care providers can be there with suggestions to help battle the feelings.
Talk with Medical Providers
In some cases, overnight anxiety isn’t something that seniors can battle alone. There can be underlying medical causes, side effects from medications, and other possible contributing factors that medical providers can help seniors manage. Finding the right answer might take some digging, but doctors can help.
Overnight anxiety doesn’t have to be something that seniors just fight through. 24-hour home care providers can help them to figure out what helps and to put solutions in place.
If you or an aging loved one needs 24-hour home care in Parker, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare of Parker. 303-953-9924
