Health Concerns

At the age of 50 many health concerns can begin to arise. Conditions such as arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and countless other serious health complications may become more prevalent. Another major concern that if often overlooked by many are the risks associated with lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can actually have a large impact on your overall health. A poor sleeping schedule can encourage premature aging, brain fog, a weakened immune system, as well as countless other negatives. Still countless individuals may suffer from insomnia and other sleeping disorders. In fact, more than half of people over the age of 65 have a hard time sleeping. Things like sleeping patterns may change over the years and tend to vary by individual. The average recommended hours of sleep are 7 hours of sleep. It is also recommended that this sleep remain  uninterrupted or disturbed abruptly throughout the night.

Sleeping Through the Ages

However on average older people tend to have three to four awakenings in the middle of the night. These awakenings range from reasons such as chronic pain, having to use the restroom, or even anxiety.“The more disorders older adults have, the worse they sleep,” said Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor from University of California, as quoted in the NY Times article. “If you look at older adults who are very healthy, they rarely have sleep problems.” Given this information many have concluded that better sleep is the goal however how to achieve “better sleep” remains the mystery for many. Compiled below is a list of ways you can improve the quality of your sleep:

• 1. Exercise frequently
• 2. Avoid having caffeine 4 hours prior to bedtime.
• 3. Try to make a routine bedtime that you follow every week
• 4. Avoid taking naps throughout the day
• 5. Avoid being on screens. Such as phone, TV, laptop before bed.

Sleep can improve your overall health and help you live a longer life. Try out some of these ideas and see what it can do for your sleep issues. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about Long Term Care Insurance be sure to visit: LTC TREE for more information.