Pre-Test
1. Adequate sleep is important to
a. Work effectively and safely
b. Fight off infections
c. Maintain overall health
d. All the above
2. Lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of
a. HPV
b. Heart disease
c. Constipation
d. Pregnancy
3. Which chronic disorders cause people to have an increased incidence of poor sleep health?
a. Kidney disease
b. Parkinson's disease
c. Arthritis
d. All the above
The Importance of Healthy Sleep
- Fatigue and sleepiness can reduce productivity
- Lack of sleep can increase the risk of harm and mistakes to self and others
- We need adequate amounts of sleep to: fight off infections, support the metabolism of sugar to prevent diabetes, to preform well, and work effectively and safely.
- Not getting adequate amounts of sleep can affect the endocrine, metabolic, and neurological functions which are critical to individual health.
- If sleep disorders are left untreated they can cause an increased risk of: heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. All of these can lead to death.
- Arthritis, kidney disease, pain, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and depression can all lead to poor sleep health.
Sleep Health
- A short sleeper is defined as someone that gets less than six hours of sleep a night and in the United States the number of short sleepers has increased significantly in the last 30 years.
- 25% of adults in the United States only get adequate sleep half the time. On average a person reports getting inadequate sleep at least 15 out of every 30 days. No one should be afraid to talk with their doctor about inadequate sleep.
- Lifestyle choices can cause intermittent sleep disturbances and lead to fatigue, disorientation, and decreased alertness. For older adults this is extremely concerning because you worry about their safety and preventing them from getting hurt.
- The lack of sleep health education and not knowing the importance of sleep can cause an individual to prioritize other activities over sleep.
Healthy Sleep Tips
- Maintain a sleep schedule
- Set your bedtime so you are able to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night
- Do not lie down in bed until you are ready to fall asleep
- If you have not fallen asleep within 20 minutes of lying down, get out of bed
- Make sure your bedroom is quite, relaxing, and maintains a comfortable, cool temperature.
- Limit your exposure to bright lights in the evening
- Make sure to turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Do not eat a large meal for dinner, it is okay to eat a snack before bed but it should be a light, healthy snack.
- Try to get regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet
- Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon and evening
- Avoid consuming alcohol before bed
- Reduce fluid intake before bed
Motivators
- These tips to healthy sleep will help the older adult to be able to get better and longer rest at night.
- Teaching my older adult to not drink two hours before bed with help to reduce her nocturia.
- An older adult needs to get adequate sleep because the lack of sleep effects their overall health.
Action Steps
- An older adult can follow the healthy sleep tips to get more adequate and better sleep.
- You could start incorporating 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week to help you to get better sleep at night.
- You should limit the amount of caffeine that you intake and you should not drink any caffeine after noon.
- You should limit your fluid intake about two hours before bed to help to reduce your incidence of nocturia.
Community Resources
You could benefit from seeing a sleep specialist at the Sleep Management Institute. They are highly trained professionals that specialize in sleep disorders. You could utilize this community resource to seek help with your insomnia related to your nocturia.
You could benefit from using this community resource and seeing one of the Urologist that work there. These doctors are specially trained to help diagnose and treat urinary complications like nocturia. The will be able to help you control your nocturia which will help you to be able to get better rest at night.
You could benefit from attending the YMCA and getting some excercise. 30 minutes of non-straining excercise a few times a week could help to alleviate stress which could help you to be able to relax and get more adequate sleep at night.
Sources
Broch, L., Buysse, D., Dorsey, C., Sateia, M., & Schutte-Rodin, S. (n.d.). Clinical Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27286
http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27286
Abraham, William, Raouf Amin, Virend Somers, and Daviid White. "Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease." American Heart Association, 2008. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/circulationaha/118/10/1080.full.pdf?download=true>.
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/circulationaha/118/10/1080.full.pdf?download=true
Post-Test
1. Adequate sleep is important to
a. Work effectively and safely
b. Fight off infections
c. Maintain overall health
d. All the above
2. Lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of
a. HPV
b. Heart disease
c. Constipation
d. Pregnancy
3. Which chronic disorders cause people to have an increased incidence of poor sleep health?
a. Kidney disease
b. Parkinson's disease
c. Arthritis
d. All the above