Have you noticed that your elderly loved one is more irritable lately? Maybe their nighttime elderly care provider has reported to you that they aren’t sleeping well. Your elderly loved one could be sleep deprived. Many things can cause sleep deprivation including restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, insomnia, too much caffeine consumption, and other things, as well. If you think your loved one might be sleep-deprived, here are some things that you might notice.
Irritability
In many people who are sleep deprived, irritability will be one of the main effects. Being sleep deprived can cause someone to have many negative emotions. In fact, sleep deprivation could even cause your elderly loved one to develop mental health issues. Not getting the right amount of sleep (usually between 6 to 8 hours for elderly adults) could have a huge impact on overall mood.
Falling Asleep Quickly
If you or your loved one’s elderly care provider notice that your loved one is falling asleep almost as soon as they lay down, this could be a sign of sleep deprivation. In this case, their body is just so tired and exhausted, they can’t stay awake any longer.
Foggy Memory
It is quite normal for people to forget things at some point. However, if your elderly loved one is sleep deprived, this could be causing foggy memory to occur much more often. Without the body getting the right amount and quality of sleep that it needs, the mind isn’t able to properly form memories, especially emotional ones.
Drinking Much More Caffeine
Have you noticed that your elderly loved one is drinking much more caffeine than usual? Maybe instead of their normal 1 cup of coffee in the morning, they are now having 3 cups. If this is something you notice in your elderly loved one, they may be drinking the extra caffeine to keep themselves awake. Without getting enough sleep at night, their body needs that extra boost to stay awake.
If you do notice these things in your elderly loved one, it is time to figure out what is going on. What is causing their sleep deprivation? Have a talk with your loved one to try to find the cause. If they aren’t sure what is happening, it may be time to schedule a doctor’s appointment, so the doctor can figure out what is wrong. Once a solution is found, it may be easier for your loved one to get the proper amount of sleep and the best quality of sleep, as well.
Sources
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/sleep-deprivation
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency
If you or an aging loved one is considering elderly care in Laurel, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
