5 Sleep Tips for Women Over 50

Sleep becomes increasingly important as we get older. Stress starts taking its toll on the body, and one of the best ways to regulate it is by getting enough sleep. Sleep can also add many years to our lives, and reduce the chance of neural degeneration. Bad sleeping habits have even been shown to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This is why you need to take sleep quality very seriously and take steps to improve it today. Let’s take a look at a few simple sleep tips all adults should follow. 

Create a Sleep Haven

The very first place where you should start is where you will be doing most of your sleeping: the bedroom. Here, you might need to make widespread modifications to make it as conducive to sleep as possible.

The first thing you will do is very simple, and that is adjusting the temperature. Few people know this, but there’s a temperature range that will trigger a sleep response in the body. The temperature should be within the 60 to 67 Fahrenheit range ideally. You also have to make sure that you pick a mattress that allows heat to dissipate.

The size will be very important as well. If you have a spouse and you want a larger bed, check the king size dimensions and see if that would be the right size for you. Know that there are also mattresses that will have different settings for each side, so it would be wise to look at both your sleeping types and pick the right one for each of you.

Banish Blue Light

One of the worst things you can do before going to bed is looking at screens. It’s recommended that you stop all screen activity at least two hours before going to bed. Most devices with screens emit what is referred to as blue light, which can disrupt sleep cycles. If you want an alternative before going to sleep, we suggest you go with an audiobook or another type of audio entertainment.

Slow Down on Caffeine and Alcohol

If you love coffee, you have to be careful with your consumption. Coffee has a relatively long half-life, meaning that it stays in your system for longer than you might think. Caffeine isn’t only found in coffee either, so if you had a habit of having tea after dinner, you might need to look at other options.

You should also let go of that nightcap if you have a habit of having a drink before going to sleep. While alcohol is a central nervous system depressant it will also disrupt your sleep cycles. So, while you might get to sleep faster, the quality of your sleep will be lower, and you’ll wake up in bad shape.

Get Moving

We would also suggest that you stay active. Physical exercise is a great way to reduce the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, in your body. Physical activity also increases your production of serotonin, which promotes good sleep.

Address Snoring

Snoring is more common in older adults, and it can affect both you and your partner’s sleep quality. You first have to look at what the issue is. If it’s sleep apnea, your doctor may prescribe that you use a c-pap machine. This will greatly improve your quality of sleep while making sure that you breathe properly overnight.

These are simple things you can do today to improve your quality of sleep as you get older. Do not neglect your sleep as it could affect your life and health now more than ever.

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